Thanksgiving has happened. At a sumptuous meal, we gave thanks for the best parts of 2022. Parades occurred. Santa officially arrived. Decorations are now on display. The We Believe Inn is open. Advent calendars have been filled and the first door is open – The countdown has begun. It is Christmas 2022!
When I was a child, Thanksgiving meant turkey and stuffing, cranberries and pumpkin pie. Christmas was English roast beef with all the trimmings, mashed potatoes, broccoli and Hollandaise, topped off by plum pudding. The New Years ham was accompanied by the traditional black-eyed peas and stewed apples. Frozen leftovers provided periodic treats all winter. Nothing was wasted. We saved the wrapping paper, neatly folded away for next year. We cut-up the holiday cards for crafting ornaments. We were encouraged to give handmade presents, highly valued because they were 1 of a kind, and coupons for household help. We turned off the lights when leaving a room and we kept doors (and often windows) mostly closed to “keep in the heat.”
In the 1950s, not long after WWII, Madison Avenue sold the “rinse and repeat” slogan; families bought TV dinners to eat as TV ads invaded their home; people began to jump on the “bandwagon” and keep up with the “’Joneses”. (Every house in my neighborhood finished their carport into matching garages.) Somehow, into the 60s, throwing “out” and buying new became acceptable. Convenience products and packaging were created to facilitate the trends. Into the 80s and 90s, clothing and furniture in this year’s color became the “in” thing to do. In 2001, President Bush told us shopping was good for the country. Keeping up with the Joneses became patriotic. Now, we are reverting to a more conservative lifestyle.
We purchase for permanence and use with that in mind; diversify disposal; consider the landfill as a last resort. We compost all organics; and recycle what we can, which conserves raw materials. However, reusing is better. Shopping at thrift shops has become a status symbol. And, of course, there is definitely decreased interest in wasting resources on the manufacture, purchase, or disposal of items intended for a shorter period of use than they will last in the landfill, along with a definitive trend in finding better solutions for our packaging – nation wide.
