DAY 3: 12 Days of HOTBIN Composting Christmas Tips
DAY 3: Christmas Characters. Santa and Snowman! If you ask a child to list things associated with Christmas, Santa and Snowmen are featured at the top of their list, alongside presents, of course!
Santa and Father Christmas
The American Santa Claus is believed to be an invention of Washington Irving and other 19th century New Yorkers whereas Father Christmas (English) has an origin from Sinterklaas. However, by the 1870’s onward, Father Christmas became increasingly like the American Santa Claus —a gift-giver that looked close to the Harper’s Illustrated figure (1863-6) known as St. Nicholas.
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Traditionally on Christmas Eve, Santa is left with cookies and a glass of milk, along with reindeer food to feed Santa’s helpers that help him pull his sleigh to deliver gifts to children around the world on Christmas Eve.
Whether you leave cookies for Santa and/or savory food for the reindeers, just remember that these leftovers can be added to your HOTBIN. Just don’t add too many at the same time, or he might end up with a portly belly!
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SnowmanFor children living in the northern states with sufficient snowfall, building a Snowmen is a common winter tradition. The typical snowmen consist of three large snowballs of different sizes with some additional accessories for facial, hands and other features. Common accessories include branches for arms and a rudimentary smiley face, with a carrot used for a nose. Clothing, such as a hat or scarf, may be included.Â
However, once he melts all that is left are their nose (carrots), hands (branches) and maybe the hat and scarf he once had. Â
The sticks are a bonus and will also provide aeration in the bin. As for the hat and scarf, if these are made of natural fibers (cotton, wool), then unbelievably you can add them into the HOTBIN (very small quantities per batch). They will take a long time to break down but will eventually compost, so if you do decide to add them, we would recommend pulling them apart, so you only have fibers to add to the bin.
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Never trash as waste, HOTBIN would suggest you chop up the sticks and carrot. The sticks are a bonus and will also provide aeration in the bin. We don’t advise adding coal as this won’t break down, instead put this to better use on your fire to keep warm.Â
As for the hat and scarf, if these are made of natural fibers (cotton, wool) then unbelievably you can add them into the HOTBIN (very small quantities).They will take a long time to break down but will eventually compost, so if you do decide to add them, we would recommend pulling them apart, so you only have fibers to add to the bin.
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