TreeLog

I love the month of December in Mauritius where we enjoy the beauty of the flamboyant tree, juicy tropical mangoes and litchis; where the earth and sky seem to celebrate this festive season.

December also marks the celebration of Christ’s birth. 11 days before Christmas and the preparations have started;I love buying and gifting presents and seeing the joy on people’s face. On Saturday we had a big family gathering and enjoyed Secret Santa gifts, with my dad disguised as Santa Claus.

I also honour the spiritual side of Christmas and love attending mass prior to Christmas day. “La messe de noël” as we call it in French.  Listening to the priest, the choir and the story of Jesus Christ’s birth fill my heart with warmth. My family is not catholic but I love going to churches for their serene energy.

So yes, I do celebrate Christmas like most Mauritians do. We put up the Christmas tree at home, share gifts, have nice meals and my special moment is attending Christmas mass. Did you know that the origin of the word “ Christmas” is Chris’ mass; a church service in honour of Christ’s birth.

I also do my best to celebrate Christmas in an eco friendly way- reusing wrapping paper, gifting bags and Christmas decorations. In my previous job we also used wooden palettes to make Christmas trees and they came out great!

I think the less waste we generate, the better we can take care of the environment.

Pope Francis spoke about our common home, the environment and how important it is to preserve it.

So this Christmas think about the 3 Rs of leading a sustainable life: Reduce – Reuse – Recycle.

Together our actions will have a greater impact.

P.S: This year I am planning to follow the Icelandic tradition of reading a book for Christmas eve…

How are you planning to celebrate Christmas? Feel free to share your comments.