“Klaus”, a new animated film from Netflix, follows the classic holiday movie format of Christmas traditions bringing people together. Two feuding towns with a history of fighting are nudged into being kind to one another. Presents from Klaus, a woodworker with a knack for making toys, will only go to those who send him a letter detailing their good deeds. Get on the “nice” list and you will be rewarded with toys.
I was reading a review of “Klaus” which states:
” .. Jesper and Klaus inspire the townspeople to leave behind customs that no longer serve them, replacing them with new traditions that better speak to the holiday season they want to have. “
It’s a nice idea for fictional towns with a few thousand people. However the reality of Christmas is that it’s a financial and environmental disaster. Here are just a few statistics detailing the wastefulness of Christmas.
- 5 billion pounds of returned gifts get thrown away and end up in a landfill
- Over $1 billion dollars in gift cards go un-redeemed every year
- Billions of dollars are spent on wrapping paper and bags alone, most of which are destined for a landfill.
Why? Because it’s tradition.
I like the movie’s message of changing harmful traditions, but they missed the mark. Now more than ever we need to quit over-consuming for the holidays. The planet needs us to create new traditions that don’t involve wastefulness and greed, that don’t promote the idea of being good for material rewards.
Let’s be kind to the planet this holiday season. As always I ask you to join us and give the future, not presents. Boycott gift-giving this holiday season.
