Christmas Meme

I got tagged by Nutmeg

1. Egg nog or hot chocolate? Both. I drink hot chocolate any time of year, warm egg nog with just a wee bit of brandy definitely makes me think of Christmas.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Most are wrapped.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? White on the tree, some colored on the trees that reach across the driveway and sometimes on the deck too. (It's kind of a compromise - I love white, but a lot of the kids like colored lights).

4. Do you hang mistletoe? Sometimes.

5. When do you put your decorations up? Slowly over the course Advent.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? I LOVE turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes. My favorite stuffing includes cranberries, apples, applesauce, celery, and onions.

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child:

a. (as a small child) I remember Christmas Mass one year when I was very small and being awed by the trees and lights and the nativity scene in front of Church. Everything seemed so BIG then!

b. (as a teen) Christmas caroling with the folks at Ignatius Press around the streets of San Francisco. We wrapped things up in the Carmelite Convent of Cristo Rey (a Spanish-speaking convent) where we sang to the sisters through their cloister-gate (is that what you call it?) and they sang to us as well. We finished with some Mexican Hot Chocolate (I had never had it before - yum!) in a room next to the vestibule of their beautiful chapel.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I don't remember - it wasn't any kind of a big shock (even though I can recall being a firm believer) - probably because I had older siblings that I knew were in on surprises and working on secret things in the weeks before Christmas.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? We have our party at Grandma's house with all the cousins on Christmas Eve every year, so we open something there - something from G&G and something from our KK's. The adults pick names and the kids pick names each year and the kids usually make something for their person.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? (see #3) White lights, red and gold bulbs (the newer unbreakable sort that have a variety of different "finishes", candy canes, thick gold ribbon strung through the branches, printed Victorian angels (on cardboard, but they're very pretty) and our eclectic variety of other ornaments. We have a LOT of ornaments and the kids LOVE to help decorate the tree. John and I do the lights and the breakable ornaments, give a little advice on spreading the other ones out, and pretty much let the kids do the rest.

11. Snow? This is still special and magical to me - particularly around Christmas - probably since I didn't grow up with it. Not particularly fond of driving and parking lots when they're real slushy or icy.

12. Can you ice skate? Yes, but it's been many years.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? A sleeping bag (that I still have) stands out for some reason.

14. What's the most exciting thing about the Holidays for you? The connections and reconnections with family and friends and knowing the reason behind this, even if they don't understand or believe yet.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Triple chocolate cheesecake - John and I used to make this every Christmas until some of our younger ones had a dairy problem. Now that they seem to have out-grown this problem, we may try it again. It's two-person job and needs to cook overnight on really low. We got it out of Gourmet magazine almost 15 years ago.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? I enjoy the whole thing - I couldn't pick out just one.

17. What tops your tree? Currently a paper angel that Bernie made a few years ago at co-op.

18. Which do you prefer - giving or receiving? Giving.

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? I can't possibly pick just one song. Here are my two favorite albums: Bells of Dublin (the Chieftains) and King's College Choir: O Come All Ye Faithful (Musical Heritage Society).

20. Candy canes? Yes, we hang them on the tree.

I tag Molly (when - not if - she gets her blog back) and GKC if he can manage it, because I'd love to hear his answers.