Great 365 Day Purge - Day Nine

January 9, 2014

Day Nine of "The Great 365 Day Purge of 2014"

I have in front of me fifteen "candles" - white plastic tubes screwed into gold plastic bases: made-in-China products that every year I set in the windows to celebrate Christmas. Based upon this year's performance, each candle chews through two double-A batteries and a bulb in less than a week, even if I go from window to window unscrewing the bulbs every morning.

Assuming I use those candles for three weeks a year, I could easily go through ninety batteries a season. After ten years of such use, my family will have used nine hundred batteries.

I unscrew the candles, shake out the batteries. These and the bulbs will go to my local recycling facility.

I have no idea what will happen to these batteries; these bulbs. Will they, indeed, be recycled? Or will they join the thousands of other things I have thoughtlessly placed in the landfill?

Sure, I could buy the rechargeable batteries and plug in my charger, but I have a better idea. Next year, these candles will not brighten my windows.

I will miss these candles, for sure. I love the way they look at night. But I can't justify the waste that goes into their use.

I put the candles in the giveaway box, hoping that this small spark will fan the flames of revolution in my home.

I don't need plastic candles to celebrate Christmas.

I don't need tinsel and wrapping paper and endless rolls of tape.

Celebrating Christmas requires no expense, no decorations, no endless, frazzled shopping.

All I need to celebrate Christmas is my family. A bit of time for reflection. A stack of books to read and ponder. Endless boardgames and mugs of tea with my husband and children.

I don't celebrate Christmas to grow the economy.

I celebrate to grow my heart.

Kelly Garriott Waite on Google+