Holiday Resources
On these pages you will find a list of resources, educational offerings, blessings, gift buying guides, and more to help you and your faith community care for creation during every holiday season. So whether you are putting away your orange Halloween decorations, polishing a silver Menorah or planting yellow tulips, on these pages you will find resources to make all of your holidays green. In all that you celebrate, GIPL encourages us all to practice the Four R's - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Return to the central meaning of the holiday for a more sustainable witness.
Sustainable Celebrations Green Gifts Thanksgiving Advent & Chanukah Christmas New Year's Eve
Ramadan High Holy Days Sukkot Lent Earth Day Easter Fourth of July Halloween
In Sustainable Celebrations we have consolidated resources and ideas from many of the faith traditions. Our hope is that as you use this guide for your own witness, you also learn something about what our brothers and sisters in other faiths are doing to celebrate this season. May all our celebrations be sustainable and earth-honoring!
Make a Green Gift to GIPL in honor of your favorite person! Your gift will ensure that the faithful work of Creation Care continues to grow across Georgia. A gift card will be sent to your gift recipient and GIPL will be forever grateful for your support!
12 Easy Green Alternatives to Wasteful Gift Wrap - No matter what you buy, here are some green ways to wrap your gifts.
100+ Green Gift Ideas - From non-toxic toys and recycled gifts to vegan heels and octopus adoptions, this comprehensive resource from the Daily Green has something for everyone on any gift list at any time of the year.
Treehugger Gift Guide: Have a Slow Holiday - This guide, with 12 categories and over 100 ideas, highlights gifts that reflect thoughtfulness, longevity, and quality over quantity.
Green Gift Guide - The Coalition on the Environment and Jewish life presents a comprehensive Green Gift Guide for any and all of your gift buying holidays.
Thanksgiving
Greening your Thanksgiving - Check out GIPL's Grateful Living blog entry for sustainable ideas.
Buy Green: Thanksgiving Turkey - Here are several eco-friendly options for your turkey this year.
Vegan Holiday Recipes - Celebrate a vegan holiday with this comprehensive list of vegan recipes - from appetizers and side dishes to faux turkeys and desserts.
Alternative Thanksgiving Ideas - Provided by the Just Living, Enough for Everyone Program of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
Thanksgiving Centerpieces - Make your own centerpieces this year. These ideas incorporate elements of the natural world, like nuts, berries, and dried fruit.
Thanksgiving Scriptures
Back to Top
Preparing for a New Light. - In this GIPL Advent Kit, congregants change one light in their house to a CFL every Sunday of Advent and on Christmas Eve when they light the candles in their Advent wreath. The study guide includes scripture passages, a prayer, and information on electricity generation for each Sunday.
One for Each Night. - In this Chanukah kit, congregants change one light to a CFL every night of Chanukah when they light the candles in their menorah. The study guide includes a prayer, a light bulb joke, and information on electricity generation for each night of Chanukah.
Advent Liturgy - from New York IPL
Let Heaven and Nature Sing: An Advent Devotional Resource - from Presbyterians for Restoring Creation (PRC).
Praying with Creation - a list of worship resources for several holidays, including Advent and Christmas from Web of Creation.
A lits of resources for a Peaceful Advent and Christmas - from EarthCare Online
The Low Carbon 12 Days of Christmas - A half-page handout developed by Rev. Pat Watkins of Virginia Interfaith Power & Light.
Simplify the Holiday Guide - Check out this holiday and gift-buying guide from the Center for the New American Dream.
Christmas Is Not Your Birthday - Buying tips from Cool People Care.
Ideas for Reclaiming Advent and Christmas - Provided by the Just Living, Enough for Everyone Program of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
Vegan Holiday Recipes - Celebrate a vegan holiday with this comprehensive list of vegan recipes - from appetizers and side dishes to faux turkeys and desserts.
9 Ways to Cut Waste this Holiday Season - A little thinking ahead will go a long way in cutting the amount of trash you produce during the holiday season.
Don't forget to buy green gifts!
Back to Top
How to Go Green - New Year's - Tips for Greening your New Year's Eve celebrations from Planet Green.
Mulled Apple Cider for New Year's Eve - My mouth is already watering.
I’m Dreaming of a Green Ramadan - From food and waste to energy usage and reflection on the Quran, this article provides tips for greening your Ramadan this year.
Have a Blessed Green Ramadan - Another article about greening Ramadan with an emphasis on environmentally-friendly food consumption.
Detox your life: Take the ‘Buy-Nothing-Ramadan’ Challenge - During the Holy month of Ramadan, followers have the opportunity to reflect on and reduce their consumption patterns with the “buy-nothing” challenge.
18 Green Tips for Rosh Hashanah: An Eco-Kosher New Year - From organic apples and honey to beeswax candles and solar ovens, this list covers a wide variety of ways that you can have a more sustainable Rosh Hashanah.
4 crafts for Rosh Hashanah - Ring in the Jewish New Year with these easy eco-crafts that will help your kids celebrate this special holiday.
A Rosh Hashanah Sermon - A sermon sample provided by the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life.
Green Your Yom Kippur, and Make It Last - As this article points out, Yom Kippur is already a low-carbon holiday, but here are some tips on how to carry the principles of Yom Kippur into your daily life.
More Holiday Resources - Sermons and other resources for Jewish holidays from the the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life.
Back to Top
Sukkot and Ecology: Harvesting Food for Healthy People and a Healthy Planet - A reflection on the meaning of Sukkot, with links to Sukkot texts, actions for the home, and program suggestions for schools and synagogues.
Make Sukkot a Truly "Green" Holiday - A resource from the Association of Reform Zionists of America that includes information on building "Recycled Sukkah," hosting eco-friendly dinners, and oter information on green Sukkot programs.
"Ye Shall Live In Booths" And Be With Nature During Sukkot - A reflection on the sustainable nature of Sukkot.
Experiencing God’s Presence: A Lenten Environmental Practice - Developed by Chevy Chase Presbyterian Church in Washington, DC.
Caring for Creation: A Prayer/Action Guide for a Lenten "Fast from Carbon" - From Joanne Kennedy Frazer of North Carolina Interfaith Power & Light.
Powering Down: A Less is More Proposal - From Tennessee Interfaith Power & Light.
Ideas for Celebrating in Your Congregation - From planning a worship service to a community service project, check out these great ideas from the National Council of Churches Eco-Justice Ministries.
GIPL Worship Resources - Check out the various ways to incorporate Creation Care and Earth Day into your worship service.
Earth Day with Kaboose - This website has a ton of ideas that could be incorporated into children's activities, including crafts, coloring pages, and games. (FYI--this site has ad videos that start playing automatically, so you might want to turn your sound off before you click through.)
Why Earth Day is a Jewish Holiday - A reflection by Robert Rabinowitz from the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life. Explore the COEJL website for many other resources that could be used for celebrating Earth Day in Jewish communities.
Back to Top
Back to Top
| 
| 
Share
