Celebrating Christmas the peaceful, simple and sustainable ways

 

I woke up late on Christmas day. Instead of feeling elated with the celebration, I rather lying on the bed reading a book for few hours until 1pm and only have my first meal of the day. 

Normally, Christians especially Catholics would have gone to church for Christmas Day mass, but I just didnt include it in my plan. After two years of no physical attendance at church due to Covid-19 pandemic, it is hard for me to go back to the institution that I somewhat cast some doubt on the teaching and preaching. 

Some say religion is a personal relationship with the God. So do I, I believe on the good values taught by the religion, but not so much on words said by church members who sometimes acting "holier than thou". 

Less is More

Long story short, except a set of jewelry beads for daughter's DIY arts, none of us bought additional gifts nor new clothes which are supposed to be the norms by splurging during Christmas. 

There are few reasons that lead us to not getting more stuff during festivities.

1. Having moved three times in five years made me realized that I had bought so many junks.  There are so many things that I bought but only used them few times then they are left gathering dust at the corner of the house. Sorting them on which to go and which to keep gave me headache. 

2. There is always that guilt to throw them away and the climate change consequences of dumping them to landfill.

3. Yeah, we watched #The Minimalists #Lessisnow documentary on Netflix. It is a life-changing ideology that giving almost every answer to satisfying life. By living such a lifestyle, apart from dealing with the mess, it liberates a person from going for the rat race life, the kind of cycle of having to constantly earning money to cope with the endless buying things that we don't really need. 

To be honest, such a lifestyle can be said as extreme. It is even more difficult to fulfil as compared to Marie Condo way of sorting things up. Our Christmas is often about getting rids/selling/donating our items. It always feels good to be able to clear them up. (We are not Saint yet, on and off, we still succumb to the temptation to add on things at home). 

No excessive feasting due to health, environmental and food security issues. 

We also did not prepare expensive food. Our lunch was just a leftover food we packed from parents' home on the Christmas's eve. Reheated them and we were content as long as we did not starve. 

Unless you come from a vegetarian family background, it is always sinful to eat so much meat in a single meal. 

Meats, if taken excessively, will cause illnesses to the body. It is the contributing factor to develop diseases such as heart diseases, cancer and others. 

According to www.sutterhealth.org, the World Health Organisation states that fresh red meat such as beef, lamb and pork is linked to creating cancer-promoting chemicals via the ways they are cooked such as grilling, frying, broiling and other high temperature cooking methods. 

Healththrills.com also advises against taking overcooked meats as they will emit toxins from fat, they create inflammations that the body has a hard time fighting off. If they are too grilled, it is also an enemy for the youthfulness of the skin. 

Netflix explained. Water Crisis

If you have read up to this point, you must have realised that my perspective of life is often shaped by documentaries that I watched on Netflix. 

Do you know that, rearing a cow causes many negative environmental impacts from carbon emission, pollution and using a lot of water? That is why the push to go for more plant-based. It is a long term common mission to save the earth from water scarcity because of our greed.