I love the Christmas season! It’s the perfect opportunity to spread some Christmas cheer and show some Christmas spirit towards the rest of the world. In the nature of spreading some Christmas cheer and the Christmas spirit, I have compiled a good deed that you can do each day for the month of December. Each good deed will help make the world a better place which is the epitome of the Christmas spirit.

December 1^st – Give at least one genuine compliment to somebody each day for the entire month. You will be surprised at how such a simple gesture can brighten someone’s day.

December 2^nd - Donate lightly used gloves, scarves, hats, winter coats, etc. to one of the many charities collecting these items during the Christmas season. It’s hard to have Christmas cheer if you’re freezing.

December 3^rd – Set a goal for yourself to not use a single plastic bag this entire holiday season. Bring reusable shopping bags with you everywhere you go. The one million sea birds and the 100,000 sea mammals that die every year from plastic will thank you.

December 4^th – Call a friend or relative that you haven’t spoken to in a while for a nice chat. S/he will be pleasantly surprised and reconnecting will bring both of you some Christmas cheer.

December 5^th – Organize a cookie exchange. Not only does this save you time but it’s a wonderful opportunity to connect with old friends and become better acquainted with some new ones. Earn extra Christmas spirit points by inviting someone who is new to town or that you think may be lonely during the Christmas season.

December 6^th – Play with your pet for at least 15 minutes. Pets can be neglected during the busy Christmas season but this simple gesture will bring both you and your pet some Christmas cheer. Don’t have a pet? Volunteer to walk a friend or neighbor’s dog, or offer to pet sit for a friend or neighbour who is out of town for the Christmas season.

December 7^th – Plant fresh herbs inside your home to use when cooking. Fresh herbs are extremely flavourful, healthy and you will be making the planet a better place by growing some of your own food.

December 8^th – Put a brick in your toilet to reduce water consumption every time you flush.

December 9^th – Volunteer. Choose your favourite activity – volunteer at a soup kitchen or make Christmas crafts with underprivileged children. The possibilities to show your Christmas spirit are endless. Extra points if you volunteer more than once during the Christmas season.  No time to volunteer?  You could also donate a toy for a child, but trust me volunteering is much more rewarding.

December 10^th – Only purchase eco-friendly Christmas presents. This includes shopping locally at Christmas craft fairs, buying fair trade products and gifts made from sustainable resources. Try and not buy any gifts made of plastic this year since it takes 500 – 1000 years to break down and your plastic gift will likely end up in a landfill at some point.

December 11^th - Reduce your meat consumption for the rest of the month.  Not only be saving the animals you are not eating but also making a contribution to reducing the earth’s CO₂ levels. 

December 12^th – Demonstrate impeccable manners to every person you meet. Saying a sincere thank you to a rude sales clerk may just change her attitude for the rest of the day so that other shoppers don’t have to experience her rudeness. 

December 13^th – Put up an artificial tree if you have one.  If you don’t have one check Craigslist for a second hand one.  The planet needs all the trees it has so don’t cut down a tree for just a few weeks use. 

December 14^th – Decorate your artificial Christmas tree with ornaments with meaning – i.e. ornaments that your kids made, beloved family ornaments, or ones that you’ve collected while travelling.  Every time you look at your tree you will feel grateful for all the good things in your life.

December 15^th – Go Christmas carolling at a senior’s residence.  It doesn’t matter if you can’t sing, the seniors will be delighted to see your smiling face and sing along with you. 

December 16^th – Make or buy your own eco-friendly cleaning products.  Reducing your use of chemicals will ensure clean drinking water for all well beyond the Christmas season.

December 17^th – Take some time out to watch your favourite Christmas movie.  You can’t give to others if you’ve got nothing left to give, so do a good deed for yourself and show yourself some Christmas cheer.

December 18^th – Wrap your Christmas presents in eco-friendly wrapping paper.  This could be a reusable bag or newspaper with a ribbon, be creative!

December 19^th - Clean house and donate any clothing or household items that you aren't using to a women’s shelter.  The recipients will feel your Christmas spirit for years to come.

December 20^th - When you’re driving and someone wants to cut in, let them.  There would be a lot less road rage if we showed more compassion to our fellow drivers.  If someone lets you in, show your appreciation with a little wave. 

December 21^st – Invite someone you know who is spending Christmas alone to join you for Christmas dinner. It feels great to include someone who would otherwise be alone but the person will bring a new and interesting dynamic to your Christmas dinner.

December 22^nd – Donate food to both your local shelter and to your animal shelter. People and animals both need our help.

December 23^rd – Grab some family or friends and take a tour of the Christmas light displays in your city. Really show your Christmas spirit by inviting an elderly neighbor who can’t drive anymore. Spending time with family and friends is one of the best ways to bring Christmas cheer into your life and into the lives of others. Bring some note cards along to leave notes on the doors of people’s Christmas light displays that you particularly enjoyed, expressing this. Your note will be unexpected but appreciated.

December 24^th - Smile at harried shoppers in the mall. This unexpected gesture may just help spread some Christmas cheer to someone who really needs it.

December 25^th –Spend quality time with family/loved ones which could be playing board games or going for a family walk. Make time to actually interact with each other, not just sit and watch movies together. Be thankful that you have a family/loved ones to spend Christmas with.

December 26^th – Get outside in nature. Go for a walk, go snowshoeing, skating or cross country skiing. Being in nature is good for us and reminds us that we’re all interconnected.

December 27^th - At a coffee shop, tell the cashier that you also want to pay for the coffee of the person behind you and leave extra money. This random act kindness is a great way to show the Christmas spirit, especially after Christmas when it will be even more unexpected.

December 28^th - Donate $25 to Kiva, a micro finance program that lends money to low income entrepreneurs around the world. Entrepreneurs usually have about a year to pay off the loan, so by reinvesting the same $25 each year in a new entrepreneur, you could help 25 people over 25 years all with $25! I love this program and it’s a perfect way to spread some Christmas cheer around the world.

December 29^th – Do something fun and unexpected with your kids or borrow kids from a friend or neighbour if you don’t have any. Teach them how to skate or go sledding. Show the kids you’re undivided attention, make them feel special and do something that is just for them.

December 30^th – Leave an anonymous gift for someone who needs a pick me up. It could be a colleague, neighbour or friend, whoever you think needs some Christmas cheer after Christmas.

December 31^st – Congratulate yourself for spreading Christmas cheer and the Christmas spirit all Christmas season long! You’ve now done 30 good deeds. Imagine the impact we would have if everybody did this? Now, start thinking of the good deeds you’re going to do all year long. Who says that Christmas spirit only happens during the Christmas season?