FESTIVE3021
Virtual sets and Christmas Couture
Festive3021_Ivy
The future is unknown, anything can happen. It’s a joy to remember that celebration, consumption, feasting and gift giving do NOT belong to the current capitalist system, they are from the human imagination and we can and will find ways to enjoy these things without harming our planet and ourselves.
Maybe in the future, as well as traditional gathering of greenery, we can make 3D printers from recycled and ethical production chains, then use them to print molds from biodegradable wood fiber, then use the molds to create ice sculptures which will melt away leaving no trace after the festive period!
If (like me) you don’t like the commercial aspects of Christmas, don’t do them! Give handmade or second hand gifts, create a tree from your houseplants, make paper chains from old magazines, and of course gather greenery from outside.
When picking greenery be respectful, only take what there is plenty of, thank the plants and take time to learn about them.
In this picture I’m wearing my Christmas Couture, which I made from my mums old curtains, and a very, very old dressing gown given to me by my Grandmother about 184 years ago. No such thing as waste.
Festive3021_Mistletoe
Kissing under sprigs of mistletoe is a well-known holiday tradition, but this little plant’s history as a symbolic herb dates back thousands of years.The plant’s romantic overtones most likely started with the Celtic Druids of the 1st century A.D. Because mistletoe could blossom even during the frozen winter, the Druids came to view it as a sacred symbol of vivacity.
It’s tradition to remove a berry for each kiss, no more berries, no more kissing! If you can't find mistletoe play the game with some other berry laden greenery. If (like me) you have no one romantic to kiss, kiss your family, kiss your friends and even kiss yourself! After all….
To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance. Oscar Wilde
Festive3021_Holly
We will find a better system than capitalism in the future. Our celebrations and ceremonies will be reimagined, they were here before our current system and they can be there after. I love the festive period, I see it as a timeless celebration of life over death, the darkest of months is the perfect time for feasting and decorating.
Holly and ivy are two evergreen plants that are closely associated with the festivities, they were used during winter solstice celebrations to ward off evil spirits and celebrate new growth. In pagan times, holly was thought to be the male plant and ivy the female.
Here I am wearing my Christmas Couture, which I made from my mums old curtains, and a very, very old dressing gown given to me by my Grandmother.