Experiences, not Things: an Alternative Gift Guide for Yule

Some ideas for the old soul in your life this Christmas.

As we head towards Yule next week, I am feeling a primitive urge to hibernate and hunker done, to slow, to nest. At the same time the world feels ramped up to full speed as the days of Advent are ‘ticked off’ on the countdown to Santa Claus. The call to consume feels stronger than ever at this time of year as we are bombarded with sponsored posts, Christmas adverts on the TV and the pressure of the new and the shiny as an expression of our love and our worth. At the same time we have a cost of living crisis here in the UK and many other parts of the world, and the tension between those social expectations that still seem to continue and the reality of festive overspending is stark. I even saw the Money Saving Expert, Martin Lewis, calling for Nups: No Unnecessary Presents. In his words, “The best gift is the gift of releasing people from the obligation of having to buy for you.” Thought-provoking stuff.

Pair this with the idea that at the same time there are so, so many unwanted gifts in circulation ending up in charity shops at best, landfill at worst, and the contribution of Christmas overconsumption to the climate crisis simply cannot be ignored. Most people do give things as a genuine expression of love (though I’m sure many others do so out of obligation too!) and feel a genuine satisfaction in the mere act of gifting. But there are other ways to do so. That is why I love to make things: it is time I enjoy giving, and I know it will be well received. I usually make a consumable: some sweet treats or a homemade scented candle in a jar that can be reused. I’ve been writing about this a lot for that secret project I mentioned recently, so look out for more on that soon - but for now I thought I’d write about another favourite thing of mine to give (and to receive): experiences, including subscriptions.