The announcement on Saturday that parts of the UK are in tier 4 impacted us in many ways. We have had to immediately rethink our relationship with Christmas celebrations. We now have to choose who we meet and who is no longer included in our bubble.
This impacts everything.
An aspect we have been grappling with is our food order for Christmas. Since we are now sharing the day with only people we live with, how do we consciously and intentionally re-consider our Christmas food order? Cancelling has an impact on the supply chain, which will inevitably lead to waste and economic problems for businesses. Going ahead means we may throw out food or eat more than what our body needs.
So, what else can we do?
Community – every day is a Boxing Day
How can we take the concept or meaning of “Boxing Day” to be in a conscious and intentional relationship with food and community?
Boxing Day got its name when Queen Victoria who was on the throne in the 1800s and has nothing to do with the sport of boxing!
The name comes from a time when the rich used to box up gifts to give to the poor. The idea of a “Boxing day” is something that all religions and cultures embrace, and do at different times of the year. It’s an invitation to share when we have more than what we need.
Our invitation:
Is for all of us who have more food than we need to let our neighbours and community know. You might have exactly what they need or were planning on buying. There are many different ways of doing this. One way is to join Olio (see below)
We have achieved so much
We are reminded of the extraordinary recent growth in human achievement:
- We’ve taken pictures of a black hole thousands of lightyears away
- We’ve created a 3D printer that can print an ear
- We’ve developed a vaccine in under a year to “hopefully” to live with a virus that’s forced us globally into isolation.
And yet…
We continue to live in a world where some of us have access to so much food, that millions of tonnes go to waste. Whilst others live in total poverty and struggle to get enough to survive. The system allows us to coexist sometimes within a street of each other. According to City Harvest, a charity that distributes surplus food across London, 1 in 4 people in London are facing food poverty this Christmas. A staggering statistic.
How can we reconnect to the true meaning of Boxing Day?
We have registered with Olio. It’s a free App that allows you to share food that you have leftover with people in your community who may need it, meaning it won’t be wasted. It’s that simple!
If we can take steps to solve the food waste problem, we can help prevent people in our communities going hungry and minimise the damage food waste has on the environment.
We have signed up! Sharing your Christmas surplus has never been so easy – it’s a great way to help others and minimise our food waste.
