Thanksgiving began long before the first official ceremony organized by English explorer Martin Frobisher in 1578. It has long been a tradition of several First Nations cultures to offer an official giving of thanks during autumnal gatherings. For example, in Haudenosaunee culture, Thanksgiving is a prayer recited to honor the “three sisters” (beans, corn and squash) during the fall harvest.

6) Invite the Neighbors

Whether you swap cooking ingredients on a daily basis or you’ve never met, consider inviting your neighbors to share your eco-friendly Thanksgiving. If you haven’t met them, this is a great opportunity to build a relationship that could make your life
easier and more enjoyable (definitely something to be thankful for!). Also, it will reduce auto emissions by keeping more people off the road or ensuring shorter trips.

7) Plant a Tree

Trees absorb carbon dioxide—a greenhouse gas that contributes to the greenhouse effect and global warming—and give off oxygen in return. Planting one tree may not seem to matter much in the face of global climate change, but small things do matter. In one year, the average tree absorbs roughly 26 pounds of carbon dioxide and returns enough oxygen to supply a family of four.

Make Your Own Eco-Friendly Decorations

With a few simple supplies and a little imagination, you can make great eco-friendly Thanksgiving decorations and have a lot of fun in the process. Colored construction paper can be cut or folded into simple turkey and harvest decorations. Later, the paper can be recycled. Baker’s clay, made from common kitchen ingredients, can be shaped and molded into holiday figures and colored with non-toxic paints or food coloring. This is also a fun activity for children.

9) Make it a Spiritual Day

Thanksgiving is a good time to count your blessings, beginning with the many ways the natural environment sustains and enriches our lives. As part of your eco-friendly Thanksgiving, make time for prayer, meditation, reflection, or perhaps just a walk in the woods to contemplate and give thanks for the healthy, beautiful outdoors which we have the opportunity to enjoy (and so many others do not).

10) Say Thank You

Whatever else you do on Thanksgiving, make it a time to say thank you to the people in your life who matter most and, if possible, to spend time in their company. If distance or circumstances prevent you from spending Thanksgiving with some of the people you love, call, email or write them a letter (on recycled paper or course!) to tell them why they mean so much to you.

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