We can forego the practice of purchasing cut trees to decorate for the holidays. Many people opt for plastic imitations, but I cannot see the point in this. Our over-use of plastics is incomprehensible. We are missing the whole point. Winter celebrations are about preserving what greenery and light we can, until the natural return of these things in the spring. Fallen pine branches are easily found on a walk through the park and sometimes in our own back yards. We can collect these, along with pine cones and other interesting bits of the natural plant world, to decorate our homes. We can use house plants like the Norfolk Island pine, poinsettias, and Christmas cactus to provide the greenery that our souls crave.
The holidays have become a cheap imitation of what was once a magical time. Our yards are filled with tacky blow-up plastic Santas, plastic reindeer, plastic garlands, poorly strung lights, and gaudy decorations galore. While the stars in the sky supposedly guided the three wise men to the proverbial baby Jesus, the stars are hidden from us due to the overabundance of unnatural light. In light of global warming, why do we continue to participate in these childish practices?
Green is a color that invokes relaxation. It calms the nerves and tends to make us feel more joyous. In 1967, a band named Small Faces recorded a song titled Itchycoo Park. The lyrics began with, “Over bridge of sighs, to rest my eyes in shades of green… It’s all too beautiful.” The color green is vital to our wellbeing. It is also a symbol of abundance. Why do we feel so refreshed after a pleasant walk through a forested park? Why do so many want to “get away” to the mountains and to go camping? It is because of our natural need to connect with nature, that very thing of which we are a part. So many people are disconnected from nature and this lies at the very core of the many psychological, emotional, and even physical illness that have besought human beings.
Decorating our homes in plastic imitations of nature will not satisfy our deeper urge to connect with nature. It will not provide us with the peace that we seek. Let’s make this holiday season one that is filled with nature. Let’s bring a bit of nature into our homes and allow it to heal our disconnected selves.
