Adding an eco-friendly glow to this festival of lights

Deepavali, aptly hailed the Festival of Lights, is a time when Malaysians of the Hindu faith carry out the tradition of lighting up lamps. Besides honouring religious obligations, why not opt for a celebration that is both friendly to your wallet and the environment? These are some of the ways to be budget-friendly, while maintaining the glow and significance of the festival.

Involve the whole family in the making of sweets and delicacies
While many of us would find making of sweets and delicacies time-consuming, nothing beats home-made ones. Besides being a healthier option, it is a way of bringing the family together. Isn’t it fun to mould those muruku and ladoo into shape? Don’t be surprised if half the fun comes from messing up our moulds. You’d also realise how much hard work our mothers and grandmothers (okay, maybe there are fathers and grandfathers) put in into the making of these treats! After all, nothing is more authentic than making moulds and having that oh-so satisfied moment when your sweets and delicacies turn out perfectly.

Donate unused materials and other utilities to charity
What do you do with those materials you no longer use? What about books that you no longer need? Why not give away to your nearest community centre? By doing this, you are not only teaching your children the value of materials, you are also doing them a favour by inculcating the spirit of giving.

Look out for recyclables when shopping
Related to the previous point, do try and look out for recyclable items when shopping. As far as possible, avoid purchasing one-time-use items. Not only is it worth every sen, you are indirectly doing your bit for the environment by reducing wastage. Keep in mind that items made of plastic and fossil fuels are non-renewables. More importantly, one must strive to be a smart consumer by making smart choices, and one chance to do so is while shopping for the festive season.

Bring cheer to those who deserve it
Another way of being eco-friendly is to cheer people up on the day itself. For example, you might want to go to an orphanage and give away some sweets to make them happy. You could also visit your nearest retirement home to bring cheer to the folks there.

Do away with your usual fire crackers
Natural fire crackers give out tonnes of toxic gases, which pollute our environment. If you didn’t already know, these fire crackers were at one time made by teenage children, who unfortunately die at a young age as a result of early exposure to such toxic chemicals. Not only that, it also gives out noise. Of course, it is natural to have some fun during celebrations. However, fun doesn’t always have to mean noisy. After all, you wouldn’t want to suffer from sleeping problems or hearing impairments. Moreover, you are also doing the animals a favour by not letting them suffer the consequences of the high levels of noise. You’re probably wondering ‘What about electronic ones?’ Well, I wouldn’t want to generalise, but many of us tend to be glued to our electronic devices. Isn’t that more than enough?