8. Alternative Christmas shopping

On Saturday, the Alternative Christmas Market in the Domkyrkoforum offered the best opportunity to buy original Christmas presents that make not only yourself, but also others happy. 

Tired of the usual hectic christmas shoppning? Let’s get a hint on what sort of alternative presents that you could put under the tree on Christmas morning.

Marlen Knoester, Humana

“We sell here second-hand bags, clothes and scarves. We sell only vintage products, so no former H&M. We have permanent shops in Lund, Malmö and Stockholm.

People should buy their  Christmas presents here because it is good for the environment, cheaper than buying something new and because their present will be unique ! I already bought all my own Christmas presents in this way, so I didn’t buy anything new. For example, my mother gets a vintage scarf.”

Maria Adell & Verónica Rodríguez, ABC

Verónica: “With us, you can buy different fair-trade products, mostly coming from India and Nepal. We have jewelry, chocolate, tea and more. As everything is fair-trade, we guarantee that the producers receive a good price for their products. Still, our prices are not too high as our organization mainly works with volunteers.”

Maria: “We both plan to buy some Christmas products here ourselves and as you see we are already showing off our own jewelry! I also often buy chocolate…”

Mike Nelson, Coffee Collective Refika

“We sell coffee that has been collected through a process of direct trade: we try to improve the transparency of the supply chain as much as possible. In this way, we can make sure that the farmers really receive the price they deserve, which is often not the case if middlemen are involved in the chain.

The taste of the coffee is spectacular, as the beans are roasted lighter! Compared to it, normal coffee tastes a lot like a burned piece of toast. Of course, the coffee is more expensive than regular coffee. I think this asks for a different way of drinking coffee. I myself have started to drink less, but also to appreciate it more. And then for its good taste, instead of just seeing it as something that I need to wake up.”

Lena Klassen (Let Us Create) and Jan Claus Di Blasio

Lena: “I am here on behalf of the NGO ‘Let Us Create’ that works with more unfortunate children in Cambodia. We organize schooling for these children and support their parents, so that they can indeed let their kids go to school.  Moreover, we organize art classes after school and we sell the art works that the children make. So, by buying a painting, you are helping a family.”

Jan: “My organization works in Kenya, in four villages close to the Kilimanjaro. We support communities that have decided to stop with poaching in finding other ways to sustain themselves. We mainly sell handcrafts, for example jewelry, candles and games.”

Becky Laycock

“I sell sustainability signs. I have studied art and I like to work with recycled materials. For example, I have made earrings using an old Scrabble-game and feathers that I found.”