Buy Fair Trade Christmas Ornaments: Give Joy Back to the World

You can decorate your tree this year with beautiful ornaments and feel the extra blessing of knowing your purchase has contributed to sustaining our earth and struggling third world communities. Instead of putting mega-manufactured plastic things on your Christmas tree, choose to adorn it with of one of a kind, hand crafted items that positively impact the lives of others. The HUB Global Village now stocks several fair trade Christmas ornaments.

Choose a bell, nativity scene, or stocking made from the tagua nut. These nuts are sustainably harvested from the forest floor when the cabeza containing the nut ripens and falls. Each tree contains several cabezas and it may take 3 - 8 years for the cabeza to fully mature. In Ecuador, the nuts are then skillfully carved by artisans into figurines, key chains, Christmas ornaments, jewelry and boxes. As animal ivory has become almost extinct, tagua nut, also known as "vegetable ivory, has become a highly valued commodity by both artists and consumers. The history of the use of the tagua nut is of interest. Before the introduction of inexpensive plastic buttons, about 20% of buttons manufactured in the United States were made from tagua nuts. Many ecological groups have been instrumental in increasing the number of major companies who are once again using tagua for buttons.

Fairly traded gourd Christmas ornaments are also hand-made by artisans in the twin villages of Cocha Chicas and Cochas Grandes, Peru. Choose a gourd decorated with the Dove of Peace or the beautiful image of One World Friendship. Over 2000 years ago, gourd vessels were elaborately etched for in scenes that told stories, the latest news or ancient legends. Now, the only area where this tradition survives is in these twin cities. Gourds are available in a variety of sizes, so artisans usually contract with growers for a certain approximate size in the sowing season, October. The gourds are ready to be worked the following June. The sun-dried gourd is trimmed and washed, readying it for decoration. Decorations are carved, etched and burned into the gourd. After a gourd is decorated, it is washed again, and then dried further in a kiln or over a flame.

Decorate your tree with an angel, bell, star, stocking or tree carved from coal and help keep young men and boys from dangerous conditions in the coalmines of Columbia. The land surrounding the small mining community of Morcá, has been degraded from years of mining. This situation has left few economic alternatives for its inhabitants. Young men and boys work in mine shafts that have only rudimentary support infrastructures and unsafe conditions. In 1995, the Colombian government established a workshop to train boys how to carve figurines and jewelry from coal, hoping that revenues generated from craft production would provide an alternative to working in the mines. Unfortunately, the workshop has not yet reduced the need to work in the mines. Help increase the market for these products and help brighten their lives. This Christmas season, you can hang the hopes and dreams of a better world on your tree, and enjoy them for years to come!