The holidays are a time for family, friends and of course lots of fun!

But they can also be a time when we take a little too much advantage of our planet. If you're looking to have an eco-friendly holiday season, look no further! In this blog post, we will provide you with some tips on how to celebrate Yule, Christmas and the New Year in an environmentally responsible way. From reusing candle jars to decorating with natural materials, we've got you covered! 

The holiday season covers so many things but a lot of witches here are only thinking about Yule, the winter solstice. The planet and it's connection to the universe make us think about our connection to each other, and so we hope this post can combine a bit of everything for you in your Yule prep. Yule is a great time to get creative with sustainable decorations. You can even reuse old crackers crafted into little origami baubles for any trees. Use natural materials like dried branches and twigs alongside evergreen branches as a beautiful ways to bring nature indoors. 

When we talk about Yule, we are talking about the winter holiday that has been celebrated for centuries, and as long as there have been solstice calendars. You do not need to be a witch to celebrate, or of any particular faith or cultural origin. Happening around the 22nd December in the Northern Hemisphere (and June 22nd in the Southern Hemisphere),  it is a celebration of the rebirth of the sun and a time to reflect on our lives. The first known solstice celebration is at the Nabta Playa, stone circle dating back to 5000bce, and the Romans used to celebrate the rebirth of Saturn and Sol Invictus, the sun god. By celebrating the shortest day of the year, and the embrace of the longest night, you can be sure that candles, fires and warmth were key themes, as well as gratitude, love amongst your home and community, and a bit of food and drink! 

Re-use your Wicked Obscura candle tins or jars

One of the best ways to reuse items is by reusing your candle jars. Instead of throwing away used candle wax, scrape it out and fill with hot water to capture. You can then use the jar for festive decorations such as cuts from your seasonal trees, some LED fairy lights, and even some holly leaves or eucalyptus to give it a unique look. Creating your own eco-friendly Christmas centerpiece is a great way to create something unique and special, whilst also igniting creativity and fun inside you too!

Incentivize your decorations game

You don't need to buy any plastic ornaments to decorate your Christmas tree. Instead, re-use pine cones from around your yard or nature walk, and soak them in your preferred food coloring. If you are looking for something even more creative, rub some of our soaps onto the pinecones to make them not only look snow-covered but smell incredible whenever you walk past them hanging on your tree. A perfect little craft with the littlest ones! Don't forget our incense blends smell incredible even on small home fires too.

Wrap gifts in packaging from us and your favorite small businesses

Re-use packaging from ourselves here at Wicked Obscura as well as from all the other wonderful small businesses you know; when sharing perfect gifts with your loved ones, you'll have the opportunity to shout about how wonderful local businesses are whilst reusing for sustainability. If you don't have the option to re-use packaging, choose recycled or FSC certified wrapping paper - which are easily available and affordable options!

Make an advent calendar

....with reusable materials! Paper and plastic calendars can be easily reused year after year, but why not try something a little more sustainable this holiday season? Try reusing some of your candle jars or tins to fill with chocolate, sweets, or even coins. Get creative with some ribbon, fabric scraps, and string to make it look just as special, and re-use the same items year after year! These are just a few tips for a sustainable holiday season, you can make it your own in the style that suits you too. So don't forget to re-use your candle tins, re-cycle packaging from ourselves and small businesses, and create an advent calendar with all your favorite brands!

Dress up in pre-loved and sustainable goodies

With all your loved ones to see and ways to celebrate this holiday season, a new outfit for many is on the cards. But there are ways to prevent us not necessarily spending; thrift shops and charity shops, clothes-swapping apps and a quick message to the group chat! It's all about reusing and re-wearing, so why not challenge yourself to re-style an old jumper or dress. For those short trips out make sure you have our natural, vegan and cruelty-free beauty products. They contain no synthetic ingredients so you know we have the planet in mind when we are also helping you feel festive! The coffee Awaken lip balm is our go to!

These are just some of the many eco tips you can use this holiday season to help make your celebration a sustainable one that takes care of the planet too. So have fun reusing and recycling, creating and upcycling, and re-wearing and re-gifting for a greener holiday season! Have a happy, merry, sustainable season. 

Happy Holidays from Wicked Obscura! 🎄🎅✨

Hey, I’m Lizzie with BackyardBanshee.com. I am a professional tarot reader and a witchy business owner. I created backyardbanshee.com as a platform to share my passion for all things tarot, divination, magick, and rituals. I provide lots of services, tools and resources for spiritual and professional growth!