The Xmas thread

[Strangler Lewis]

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
Irish coffee or mulled wine. Or something brown with a little ice and a sweater. I did have my annual egg nog in latte form at Starbuck's. That was enough.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
Both.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
White. We just do the tree, although my wife just bought a new seasonal icon that's very festive.

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
No. Then I'd have to kiss the neighbors. We're all respectable people here.

5. When do you put your decorations up?
About a week before Christmas/The first night of Hanukkah.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert.)
Don't have one other than Christmas cookies. This year we will take a crack at latkes because the kids want to.

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child:
A tie between 1) trying to figure out how Santa would get in through the incinerator of our building and then break into our apartment and 2) starting Jewish Sunday school and telling my non-Jewish mother that we could not have a tree because we were Jews. ("This year, mama, the tree stays in the box!")

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
From kids like Euro.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
Yes.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree?
Lights, ornaments, gold leaf eggs and wheat wreaths that my wife hand made. We buy special ornaments every year for everybody that somehow relate to the year that has passed.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it?
Love it.

12. Can you ice skate?
It's been a while since I went regularly, but if I stretch my tendons out in my boots for about ten minutes, I can get going.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
Like some of you above, I'm hard to buy for. This worries me a bit because in "The Country of the Pointed Firs," there was a character who knew she had everything she wanted and that meant it was her time to die.

14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you?
Spending time with family.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert?
Christmas cookies, gingerbread men for the tree.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
Decorating the tree. Holiday music. Holiday programs, movies, etc.

17. What tops your tree?
A yarmulke. No, nothing actually.

18. Which do you prefer giving or Receiving?
Giving.

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song?
Johnny Mathis Christmas album. Charlie Brown's cool, too.

20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum?
Yuck. Although it was interesting to learn from The Food Network recently that they are bent in their wrappers while warm.

[MouseWife]

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
Hot cocoa with candy canes, marshmallows and cinnamon.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
Wraps. Even big items get covered.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
Both. Colored on tree, white draped around the house, colored in the windows.

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
I have previously and thought it would be fun for the teens this year but I love my Kitty so no.

5. When do you put your decorations up?
Should have put some up by now but we get our tree on the Hubsters' birthday weekend, the 11th.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert.)
Homemade sweet tamales.

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child:
After midnight mass seeing Santa at the liquor store in a convertable with some chickies. He played it off, telling us we had to go home and get to sleep before he got there.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
No one ever played Santa to us. We didn't have a chimney and so we figured everyone else was being visited. Hmm. I don't think I quit believing, I think I just gave up.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
Most of our celebrating is on the Eve. We have our dinner and then open all of the presents. Christmas Day we have gifts from Santa. Whom our kids know is us.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree?
A mix-match of ornaments, collected over the years. I love putting up ones people have made for us or that have special meaning. I have one that was almost Goodwill-ed that I used to put on our tree when I was a tot. Probably toxic...

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it?
I love it and whine by the t.v. to go up to the mountains when it starts up. But, I know it isn't easy to live in.

12. Can you ice skate?
Nope and I am too chicken to try. I would love to go watch the skaters at the Hotel Del Coronado, though. They have a rink this year.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
I really don't remember receiving it but I know it was my favorite because I dragged it around for years. My first X-mas {or second, mom developed pictures slowly...} I received a vinyl elephant with cloth ears. I called it Dumbo. I still have it.

14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you?
Family and friends.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert?
Homemade sugar cookies. Okay, from a can, whatever, but baked here at home and cut/decorated by us.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
Having kids over to help us make those sugar cookies. We get as many together as we can stand, er, I mean have around the table. Gives their parents a chance to get some last minute shopping done and we get to enjoy them for a bit, too. We make sure they take some home for 'Santa' and mom and dad,too.

17. What tops your tree?
An angel holding a candle {or two?}. Her wings move. Gift to the Girl from her grandmother, I thought it would be nice to have on our tree while she grows up so she can take it into her home with good memories.

18. Which do you prefer giving or Receiving?
I love to give. I ask people not to give me anything because I am not good at accepting gifts. Probably goes back to Santa never visiting me...

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song?
I love so many. Tiny Angels {sorry don't know the artist, Whittaker?} and Blue Christmas. Won't ever forget the Boy getting 'toasted' on cider and dancing around like Elvis eventually with a lampshade on his head. He says he doesn't remember it and we told him that is called a black out.

20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum?
I do not like the fruity ones. Blech! I enjoy my canes in my cocoa or a small one now and again. Too many is yuck. I saw that show, too! I love the Travel Channel.

[Capt Jack]

ya know? I read over my list and was shocked to see how much of a bummer it really was, so Im going to take another crack at this.

Originally Posted by Capt Jack

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
Baileys and coffee actually. My traditional xmas breakfast. Ive never had what I'd call 'real' eggnog. sounds good. might have to track some down.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
yeah...wrapping them up nice really is half the fun, isnt it? my brothers and I would have contests to see who could come up with the most outrageous wrapping for the most simplistic (ie: cheap) present.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
nada outside. inside Ive always liked the colored ones....but they MUST blink! independently if at all possible

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
yup. I loved suddenly stopping in the kitchen doorway to steal a quick smooch. still do, but the dogs arent nearly so fond of it as I.

5. When do you put your decorations up?
traditionally not more than a week before, but they would stay up until well after new years. guess I need to start doing that, but the room is in the middle of being rearranged...so not sure if this will happen this go or not. gotta have something though

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert.)
hmm...a favorite is hard to pick. we had some pretty oddball ones growing up with having a texan for a dad and a japanese mother. Omochi (pounded rice) is still one of my all time faves....might have to track that down while I search for real nog.

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child:
my dad trying to keep all stone faced but occasionally getting caught cracking a smile as my brothers and I would tear into the booty and sit stunned that somehow, he'd actually had a clue. what a guy. props to pops

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
hate to say Im not sure I ever bought into that bit. I am however happy to report that I think I believe more now than I did then.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
yeah, although not anything in particular. usually one that wasnt a dead giveaway to another that might be hiding under the tree. usually music of some sort to play on christmas eve. that or something they already knew about as to not spoil the surprises for christmas morn.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree?
a very old set of various hand made ornaments that had been collected over the years, each meaning one thing or another based on where it came from or from who. the last few years it was more subtle than in previous years. ribbons and some garland and a few very choice ornaments. very simple but elegant.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it?
thats that white lumpy rain stuff, right? I like it for as little as Ive actually ever seen it or been in it, but cant even begin to imagine living in it.

12. Can you ice skate?
not even close. last time I was on skates, the little girl who was teaching me how to rollerskate ran over me with the bike she was on. havent tried any-skates since.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
no doubt, the first "grown up" gift from my dad and mom. the mechanics tool set I still use to this day.

14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you?
remembering those who helped bring me to where I am now, appreciation for all their merrits, forgiveness for all their faults and loving those around me simply for who they are and a prayer that they do the same in return. tis the season...yeah?

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert?
fruitcake. yes, I am the one that actually eats them....and with gusto I might add. ok, so nog, omochi and some fruitcake...and baileys.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
my baileys and coffee breakfast and letting the dogs open their own presents.

17. What tops your tree?
a very small pink beaded angel my mom made when I was a wee tad. before that was this god awful plastic star sort of thing that we'd use because each thought the other liked it, not knowing we both thought it was hideous. heh...it had an accident one year. whoops.

18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving?
by far, giving.

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song?
blue christmas by elvis. I can belt that one out but good...usually after a few baileys and ...well, you get the picture.

20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum?
I guess theyre ok. not my first choice. they make great decorations for the tree though.

yeah....much better.
merry christmas all

[LSPoorEeyorick]

Erm, does everyone who's keeping the mistletoe from their cats realize that they make all kinds of fake/ceramic/decorative silk mistletoe? We have two cats but still hang the fake 'toe. Not that we need any inspiration for kissin'.

[€uroMeinke]

Who wants a fake kiss?

[Alex]

I say just hang the mistletoe confortable in the knowledge that your cat can't jump to the ceiling.

That's where I safely keep my cyanide and arsenic since Lani can't reach that high.

[MouseWife]

LOL

never thought of that {silk} but That Guy is right, and I'd bet if a certain someone was really trying to get a kiss from a certain chickie she would say it wasn't real. And, he'd die of embarrassment.

Alex, I don't know, no one seems to follow directions around here...wouldn't trust them.

You'd better watch it, Lani is quite spry, she might just get a chair....

[blueerica]

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
Yipes - not a big fan of nog without considerable amount of booze, and not really that big a fan of hot chocolate, unless it was made very specifically, in a fashion that would make my lactose intolerance become... intolerable.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
wraps!

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
White! Though I could also go for a touch of red...

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
I would, but I did not.

5. When do you put your decorations up?
Depends... usually the week after T-giving, but this year, no decorations yet. Too busy?

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert.)
Haha! Probably the same one or two from T-giving... Sweet potatoes with cinnamon, nutmeg and pecans... or... the drooleriffic Green Bean Casserole

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child:
Some were better than others, but I actually liked the one where I learned about Santa. It was sobering, but in a very good way. My house wasn't always the.... 'best'... it was good to see two otherwise arguing people getting along, and quietly, for the benefit of Christmas. I didn't say anything for years.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
I was 7, and I peeked through the crack under my door. Watched the whole thing, I did!

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
I used to. Depends on who I'm with now.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree?
Yipes... all these decorating questions makes me sad it hasn't happened yet (and might not this year). If I had my druthers, it'd be white lights, blown-glass ornaments (they're the one and only thing I collect, new and antique), popcorn and cranberry strings - and maybe a hint of silver tinsel.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it?
Love it, Dreaded living in it.

12. Can you ice skate?
I was decent as a kid, though I haven't gone for years.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
It's a toss up between a stuffed polar bear I got one year, and a Sharpei stuffed animal/puppet I got.

14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you?
Seeing family and friends. Love. All that good stuff.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert?
Pecan Pie!

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
I'm not sure if I really have any traditions. Probably just the food preparation. I love to cook, and it gives me lots of reasons to throw in as much butter as possible.

17. What tops your tree?
Angel.

18. Which do you prefer giving or Receiving?
I really do enjoy giving. It's been harder to give as much as I normally like to since I started going to school. Having the luxury of time to think of the right gifts is a blessing beyond words, not to mention my more limited fundage. Yipes!

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song?
I have quite a number of favorites... I'd say it's a true toss up between Bing Crosby's and Ray Charles' "Baby It's Cold Outside."

20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum?
One is usually quite enough for the year. I'm not much on sweets.