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The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UNH chapter.

Now that we’re in November it is the perfect time to start getting into the Christmas spirit. For me, my favorite way to do so is by indulging in my guilty pleasure movie: “The Grinch”. I have seen the Grinch a countless amount of times and it has become my utmost favorite movie. Watching it back I always find more and more hidden meanings that the producers snuck in. When diving deeper into “The Grinch” I started to understand that the Grinch does not represent the idea of being necessarily against Christmas spirit, but he is against the capitalist idea of what Christmas has become. The Grinch may seem like he is the farthest away from what Christmas is meant to be, but in actuality, he gets it. The holiday spirit is supposed to be about spending it with loved ones and it’s a time of year to stray away from those materialistic ideals we see in everyday life. Christmas is about being appreciative of what we already have and sharing warm wishes amongst others. 

These are some of my favorite quotes from “The Grinch”:

  1. “Maybe Christmas (he thought) doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas perhaps means a little bit more.”
  1. “That’s what it’s all about, isn’t it? That’s what it’s always been about. Gifts, gifts… gifts, gifts, gifts, gifts, gifts! You wanna know what happens to your gifts? They all come to me. In your garbage. You see what I’m saying? In your garbage. And the avarice. The avarice never ends! ‘I want golf clubs. I want diamonds.’” 

Here the Grinch talks about how all the who’s in who-ville only care about presents and materialistic items, that in the end get thrown out regardless. In many instances, people always regift during the holiday season or throw out unwanted items. Christmas creates a ton of excess waste and it harms our environment. The Grinch was onto something. 

This holiday season, think about what truly happens to the things you buy or receive and how to reduce your own waste. 

Some ways to do so and following the Grinch’s ideas would be by regifting, thrifting neat items, or making sure what you gift will actually get used by the person receiving it. 

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Aliana currently attends the University of New Hampshire, dual majoring with Business Admin: Management and Sustainability. Her favorite place is anywhere near the beach and on the ocean. She is NH born and raised but has spent a majority of her childhood in Ipswich, MA where she continues to frequent. Ipswich being near the water, has been a huge driver for Aliana's sustainability practices, as she was able to view the environment with a new perspective.