Dreaming of a green Christmas

The best things in life are free, the song goes. It might not always be true, but it’s definitely a great way to approach gift-giving.

This holiday season, talk of the imminent melting of the ice caps and hundreds of thousands of tonnes of plastic floating in the ocean has many people inspired to step away from the traditional holiday gift-giving – a trend described by journalist George Monbiot as “pathological consumption": giving presents that will afford “thirty seconds of dubious entertainment” and then wind up in the landfill.

But having a present-free Christmas doesn’t mean you can’t give gifts. Why not write a poem, make a chain of origami swans, clean out your friend's car, or offer a certificate that allows her to give you the haircut of her choosing? Or if you’re determined to spend money, buy a membership your giftee will use or pay for an experience she's never had before…

Here is a run-down of ideas, both free and otherwise, for ways to give without giving stuff in Belgium. Have a happy green holiday!

Services and activities

Often, the best way to think of a gift is to think of what the person needs done and do it yourself – it's free, ecological and makes a very real difference in their lives. That could be babysitting, dusting behind their furniture or reorganising their bookshelves or wardrobe.

If your recipient is stressed, think about buying him a voucher for a massage at Relaxation Massage or a day at Serendip Spa or Aspria on Avenue Louise.

Or you could help her learn a new skill. Does she like to dance? Pay for a couple of swing dance classes at Apollo Swing or help her learn to salsa or merengue across the dance floor with one of the class offered by Salsa Brussels.

If your giftee is into cooking, Brussels has many options for cooking courses. Pimpinelle or [Mmmmh!] offer a wide array of cooking courses in different styles and techniques, some in English. If he’s into healthy cooking, check out Ayurvedicook or Cooking-Time.

Museums, music and theatre

Another great option for a stuff-free holiday is to give tickets, gift cards or memberships to particular cultural institutions. Most memberships come with certain advantages, like first grab at free or discounted tickets to exhibitions and events. They can also include discounts at gift shops, access to rehearsals or artist talks or workshops, and the privilege of bringing along a guest.

For example, €50 to €100 will buy you an associate or full membership to the Royal Museum of Fine Arts, the price difference reflecting the number of advantages your recipeint will  receive. At Bozar, standard membership costs €50, but is only €10 for anyone under 26.

Music and theatre, too, are great gifts. The Ancienne Belgique sells “concert cheques”, where you can choose the amount to go toward the concert of your gift-receiver’s choice. At the KVS, the Royal Flemish Theatre, you can buy gift vouchers. Or, for a larger gift, €300 will buy your giftee a pass to all the performances of a given season. At La Monnaie opera house, you can also buy gift tokens for a particular sum or subscriptions to particular combinations of shows which offer at least 20% off prices.

Charities

Finally, for those who have concluded that all of their loved ones have everything they could possibly want or need, there is always also the option to give to a charity.

Belgium is home to many of the European offices of the major worldwide NGOs, such as Greenpeace or the Belgian chapter of Amnesty International, which always accept donations. If you want to find just the right charity to give to, Givewell is an invaluable tool. Any donation over €40 is tax-deductible and you can make it in the name of your recipient.

You could also sign them up to be a member of a local NGO or other organisation working on issues that interest them. The Belgian chapter of Fian, for example, works on the right to food and food sovereignty. For €15, you can make your recipient a member (in French), where she’ll receive information about Fian’s work and events. You can also donate larger sums. Also consider donating to 11.11.11, a large coalition of NGOs in Flanders focused on fighting for justice in the global south.

Finally, for the gift that keeps on giving, look up Kiva, a not-for-profit organisation that works with microfinance institutions all over the world to crowdsource small loans (starting at $25) for people across five continents without access to traditional banks.

It’s simple. You go to Kiva’s website and browse the hundreds of borrowers with profiles posted on their website – for the most part they are small businesses and artisans in every corner of the globe. Once you've chosen a project that you (or the person receiving your present) would like to support, just choose the amount you would like to lend (on behalf of your giftee) and enter your bank information.

All loans go directly to a local microfinancing institution that makes sure the money goes to the correct person and is used appropriately. The best part is, it’s a loan, so you get your money back, which you or your giftee can reinvest over and over again. Kiva boasts a nearly 99% payback rate.