The festive season has traditionally been a time of joy, celebration and social connection. But over the years, it has gradually become a time of unrestrained and wasteful consumption. One of the reasons for wasteful consumerism is gift-giving. 

There is no question that the urge to give gifts comes from a place of thoughtfulness and love, but it often puts people under pressure to buy gifts that may be costly, and eventually become financially wasteful. To reduce wasteful spending on gifts, people could rather spend money on creating memorable experiences. On top of that, it would be even more meaningful when holidays are spent on charitable activities to create good memories by reaching out to those who are less fortunate. Furthermore, feasting during the holidays can be wasteful. Research shows that nearly 40% of the food prepared during the
festive season goes to waste. 

The tradition of preparing immoderate meals often leads to overbuying, and food that ends up in the trash bin. To mitigate this wasteful practice, people could reconsider how they plan their meals, and do so more thoughtfully by buying only what is essential at the time, while prioritising quality over quantity.

The festive season is, at its core, about spending quality time with loved ones. Unfortunately, the season’s commercialised version leaves a lot to be desired, as its new and adopted focus sometimes overshadows this significant aspect.

One other aspect that needs to be addressed in reviving the meaningful spending of festive holidays is the unhealthy, excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages. As much as alcohol has become a catalyst in our society’s social life, when overly consumed, it can also have serious detrimental effects. Alcohol, in excess consumption during holidays, can present a myriad of behavioural challenges. During the festive season, there seems to be a certain level of relinquishing oneself from self-restraint and responsibility. This often leads to consequential behaviours that may later turn out to be regrettable, such as accidents and fatalities from drunken driving, sexual behaviours that result in unwanted pregnancies, sexually/spiritually transmitted diseases, or even worse, violence that could turn fatal. Furthermore, unrestrained alcohol consumption can be financially catastrophic, as some people may have nothing to show for all the hard work of the previous
years, and may face a serious financial crisis and Janu-worries. In reimagining the festive season, the key is to focus on meaningful and sustainable experiences. The festive season need not be a time of waste and over-indulgence, but rather a time of introspection, connection and giving. By transforming the focus from consumerism towards doing more, we can create a festive season that is meaningful. It will ultimately cultivate deeper social connections among loved ones and communities. Truthfully, the joy of the festive season comes not from food, material items or alcohol, but from the memories we soberly and genuinely create, and the kindness we share.

*Uncommon Sense is published bi-weekly in the New Era newspaper with contributions from Karlos Naimwhaka. YouTube channel: Karlos Lokos

– karlsimbumusic@gmail.com