From television commercials to store displays, it feels like holiday shopping starts earlier and earlier every year. This year, let’s push back against the encroaching consumerism and choose to spend the holiday season on our terms.
What’s the matter with holiday presents?
Absolutely nothing! The warm-and-fuzzy feeling that comes with sharing a thoughtfully chosen gift with a loved one cannot be denied. Scientists have even studied how gift giving strengthens bonds and increases social connection.
However, societal expectations (and intense marketing) at this time of year can lead to guilt, stress, debt, and even environmental degradation: we feel pressured to give much more than we—or the earth—can sustain.
Couple this materialist pressure with the amount of stress we feel to buy and wrap everything in time for the “big day,” and it’s a perfect storm. Instead, let’s embrace the slow holiday movement, which shifts away from excessive consumption and toward intentional giving.
Conscious consumption checklist
Not every product or company will fulfill every criterion, but these questions are a good place to start when mindfully holiday shopping:
- Is this made locally?
- Who made this? How were the employees or tradespeople treated?
- What materials were used? Are they safe? Are they sustainable?
- Does this company or product support Indigenous makers?
- Does this company give back to the community?
- Is this product well made? How long will it last?
- What happens with this product when it reaches the end of its life? Can it be mended, passed on, or composted?
Nurture new traditions
- What’s more fun than dashing around a busy mall looking for the perfect gift for your bestie? Soaking up the sights and sounds of the season on a forest bathing excursion with her instead.
- What does your mom want more than another cashmere sweater? The experience of cooking great-grandma’s cherished recipe together.
- What would be a big help to your big sis and a fun gift for her kids? Taking your nieces—or nephews—out for a fancy high tea.
These are all examples of gifts of time: gifts that nourish, not deplete. Other ideas include taking a loved one out for a candlelit dinner (or cooking it yourself!), going for a couple’s massage, giving tickets to a concert, or browsing a bookstore together. After all, time is the ultimate luxury.
Be a heartfelt giver
Of course, time spent together isn’t always possible. Thoughtful non-material gifts go beyond the basic gift card into something more intentional. Consider giving your loved one the following:
- a contribution toward education (anything from money for an RESP to natural health education)
- the chance to explore a new hobby (such as a gift card to ballet, rock climbing, or pottery classes)
- a family outing (like passes to the aquarium, local art gallery, or escape room)
Take inspiration from Scandinavia
Time together doesn’t—and shouldn’t—always be framed as a gift. Sometimes the best quality time together is relaxing and peaceful, and nothing more. “Hygge” is a Danish term that we can understand to mean “coziness.” Hygge means slowing down in the winter, making our homes warm and cozy (think candles, throw blankets, and warm drinks), and spending time with loved ones. Read books, play games, or simply chit chat.
Presence for the whole family
Struggling with nothing to wrap? Some people on your gift-giving list (especially children!) enjoy the magic of unwrapping a physical gift. This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to forgo your “presence over presents” philosophy. Instead, try dressing up your non-material gift:
- Taking your kiddos on a beach vacation? Wrap some water shoes and a new bathing suit alongside a letter that explains the plan.
- Giving your brother-in-law a guitar lesson? Print out some sheet music to gift with it.
- Taking your rambunctious nephews on a nature hike? Give them each a kids’ book about Sasquatch, a pair of binoculars, and tell them that you’ll spend the afternoon searching for Sasquatch together.
Take it further
Once you experience the joys of low-consumption gifts, you’ll find ways to expand the “presence over presents” ethos to other facets of your holiday season, like wrapping with cloth, making homemade decorations, and opting for a living tree.
Yes, you can save money and help the planet—but you’ll also find newfound joy, whimsy, and meaning in the season when you spend this time of giving on your own terms.
15 thoughtful gift ideas
Almost 50 percent of Americans reported that holiday stress interferes with their capacity for enjoyment. Don’t let the pressure to buy be the cause. Consider these ideas for a stress-free gift-giving holiday:
- a thoughtfully chosen book from a secondhand shop
- packets of flower or veggie seeds
- tokens to an ice cream shop
- local beeswax candles or honey
- a houseplant
- handcrafted soaps or lip balm
- a knitted or crocheted hat or scarf
- a gift card to a nearby restaurant
- freshly baked cookies
- a framed photo of a happy moment spent together
- homemade playdough or “slime”
- a favourite family recipe
- a love letter or poem
- tea or coffee at a local café
- a donation to an important cause
This article was originally published in the December 2025 issue of alive magazine.
Leah Payne is a writer, author, and editor based in Vancouver, BC. She is the author of Get Outside! and Less is More. (Headshot credit: Notting Hill Photography).
Suzanne Methot
Carole Ames
Heather Burt