As a minimalist I am always trying to pursue simplicity and search for the essence. With upcoming Christmas times and first time in my new home I have found how deep are those original ideas hidden.
Simple Christmas means less preparations, less duties and less time in the shops. By making it minimalistic you can save the most precious time for people or activities you have been looking for .. for so long.
Christmas tree
Once in a year we buy a tree. We bring it to our home, decorate it and enjoy for few days. I find Christmas tree magical and I would miss it. Especially the lights during dark evenings.
But! Basically we are cutting down several years old tree. In the times when we are struggling with CO2 and global warming. We are hiding them in our living rooms. We are storing ornaments all year long only to use them once in a year. We are buying shiny balls, snowflakes, cute ornaments of animals .. wait just to make it look full and to remind us the trees outside.
Do we even remember why? The old old reasons for that traditions? I don't want to be a Grinch 😉. I would like to just make us think about our habits.
We can create home made tree (see picture below) or buy small one in a pot and plant it during the spring.
My idea for the inspiration is to plant the tree in front garden to have it visible from our living room and from the street. Light it with the lights. Put on homemade decorations made from wood, dry food or painted cones and mainly hang bird feeders to attract and help animals in winter. It can be great activity with kids. As I live at the beginning of the village, all people going home from work will be able to enjoy the atmosphere too.
Gifts and Traditions
One of the biggest Christmas troubles of minimalist is to persuade family that we don't want gifts. They just cannot accept that. When you have only few small wardrobes and every item has special place and purpose, you think twice about what you buy and if you really need it. It is such a great feeling when you own less. You feel free. You have much more time, energy, money and place for your most important activities.
Somebody once said: You are not just owning stuff, stuff owns you.
My family is telling me, that it's nice to give something small, to make person happy. Is it?
Every gift you are giving represent your time you have spend at work, earning money to buy it. How often we buy gifts in an excuse of not having more time to spend together? Without being aware of it, of course.
Our time is the most precious thing we can give. Memories of time together with our precious ones will always have the biggest value.
We make our traditions at home simple in an exchange of winter challenge or a trip. Right now we make plans around our small 1 month old imp. Otherwise we would be planning some cold adventure, crazy snow ride or trying new winter sport. Last year we have been exploring frozen river. It is possible only once in several years. I would always remember the feeling of walking on frozen layer with icefalls all around. Experience is better than any gift.
Still it makes my family so uncomfortable not to buy anything, not to spend hours in shops and just come with empty hands for a Christmas dinner.
In a search of Simple Christmas I was inspired by my sister. She and her partner were traveling to Australia last winter. They went on the road trip through desert. At the Christmas day, in one small camp, with small friendly group of travelers from around the world, they cooked simple fish on small stove, put some lights on their van and they called home for few minutes. They have been happy. It can be so simple.
Can you imagine Christmas without gifts? Would you be able to go out of the comfort zone of old Christmas habits and try a new ones, simple ones? I would like to challenge you to do one thing differently this Christmas.
Write your own, small special winter adventure, you won't forget. Share and inspire other Steemers :)
Wish you Merry Special Christmas!
