Every year around this time, I hear someone say, “Christmas just doesn’t feel like Christmas anymore.” “It doesn’t capture the same magical feeling,” people complain, even as their Amazon carts fill up with the latest decor trends, viral Halloween costumes, and gift lists recommended by influencers. I can’t help but wonder when the holidays began to feel so artificial. But before we mourn the loss of holiday magic, maybe we should ask what defines the holiday spirit in the first place. Has it really disappeared, or has the growth in consumerist culture overshadowed what we truly value in our holiday seasons?
The season once defined by creativity and sentimental memories has become one of the most wasteful times of the year. From fast fashion Halloween costumes to random aesthetic gifts that collect dust, it’s easy to lose sight of what we actually value in the rush of festivity and consumption. Social media has particularly impacted how we view the holidays. Nearly 10 times more shoppers engage with influencer content than other social media content around the holidays (Adobe). Due to constant exposure to materialistic videos that encourage others to purchase more, many consumers are pressured into excessive purchasing. With the growth of social media influencers, we have seen a simultaneous rise in holiday spending (as pictured in Adobe graph to the right). 
The more we chase a certain visual standard set for us by others, the further we drift from the heart of our holidays.
Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays. But in college, that spark feels dimmed by overconsumption. Millions of costumes are mass-produced from cheap materials, worn once, and tossed away. In an interview with CBS, sustainable fashion experts compared the amount of waste compiled from Halloween costumes to amount to “83 million plastic water bottles,” (CBS) and explained that the average mass-produced costume takes “anywhere from 20 to 200 years to decompose” (CBS) . It’s kind of ironic; our generation prides itself on originality and niche humor, yet so many people default to the same convenient, prepackaged outfits shipped in plastic from SHEIN.
This year, the cottage resisted this standard and wore costumes made primarily using items from our own closets or home-crafted. Thrift stores, too, we found were amazing places to search for missing costume pieces and ideas. All the Halloween decorations were also homemade or brought from our roommates’ families. This is a more sustainable approach to celebration, and it also helped bring the festive feeling we strive for. Sharing our closets, swapping ideas, and helping each other glue and pin together created the kind of excitement that cannot be found in a store-bought costume.
Genuine experiences such as that are what make holidays feel worth celebrating. The winter holidays especially rely on nostalgia and warmth. When I think of the holidays, I imagine the smell of cookies in the oven and enjoying themed music and movies with loved ones. I picture handmade ornaments and exchanging personal, thoughtful gifts. The holiday magic has always been more about sentiment than perfection. Shifting our holiday focus from Instagram worthy snapshots to connection and authenticity would also make massive impacts on the amount of Christmas waste. The holiday features that make for an aesthetic Christmas (wrapping paper, tissue paper, and plastic trees) are also the biggest contributors to the seasons excessive waste (iowastatedaily). The best way to recreate the nostalgic, cozy feeling isn’t through buying more, but through doing more together.
Some ideas for fun Christmas activities and sustainable decor options are listed below. Sustainability doesn’t mean giving up on the joy of the season. Rather, it can help the holidays be less about buying magic and more about creating it. This can help our holidays feel more festive, joyful, and fulfilling. When decorations are made with your own hands, especially when made with loved ones, they become sentimental keepsakes. Each time you unpack them, you’re reminded not just of the holiday itself, but of the fun memories from creating them. Intentional experiences such as these are the best way to help your Christmases regain their nostalgia.
If you’re looking for ways to make your holidays feel more personal and less performative, here are a few ideas:
- “Gingerbread house” made from painted and reshaped recycled boxes (Picture from Little Red Window)
- hanging stars from old paper bags and pages of thrifted books.
- DIY wrapping using brown paper bags, reusable cloth or pillowcases instead of glossy, nonrecyclable wrapping paper
- Natural decor: Pinecones, branches, cinnamon sticks, and dried fruit, which can be composted when the season’s done
- Gift experiences, not things: Concert tickets, museum passes, or a day spent together often mean more than another item collecting dust
- LED lights and timers (also saves your electricity bill!)
- Homemade Holiday Cards
- Save and reuse gift bags
References:
Andrews, Alyssa. “Why an expert says you shouldn’t throw away your old Halloween costumes.” CBS Boston, October 27, 2025, https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/leftover-halloween-costume-disposal/
Fu, Kevin. “Adobe Forecasts Record $240.8 Billion U.S. Holiday Season Online with Black Friday Growth to Outpace Cyber Monday” Adobe, September 25, 2024, https://news.adobe.com/news/2024/09/092524-adi-holiday-forecast
Winkelpleck, Sophie. “Overconsumption around the holidays: Sustainable strategies.” Iowa State Daily, November 27, 2023, https://iowastatedaily.com/286240/limelight/sustainability-and-the-holiday-season/
May, Cassie. “Tiny Cardboard Gingerbread Houses Christmas, Crafts.” Little Red Window, December 12, 2017, https://littleredwindow.com/tiny-cardboard-gingerbread-houses/