OT: Getting to Know Each Other - Holiday Edition!

I never turn down hot chocolate (well except when its 90+ degrees outside).

Both

White on the tree. Would like some outside, but the new house doesn't have any exterior outlets so we'll have to add some at sometime so the house can look festive on the outside too.

Nope.

The weekend after Thanksgiving.

We always had oster soup on Christmas eve growing up. I think that is my favorite more because of the tradition than the soup itself.

Camping out on my grandparents living room floor with my sister and cousins.

Don't remember "learning" the truth. By the time my mother was going to 'break' it to me. I already figured it out on my own.

Christmas eve with Santa's in the middle of the night or Christmas day.

Lights, garland, and purchased ornaments and usually an angel on the top, but the ceiling is too low this year. I am starting to get a small collection of ornaments made by my older DS too. Eventually I'd like a tree of just items made by the family, but I don't have enough yet.

Love the snow, hate the cold that goes with it.

No

Well, one is not a Christmas gift, it is a neclace my DH gave me for mothers day when I was pregnant with DS #1. My other favorite gift is the sewing machine my DMom totally took me off guard with 3 years ago!!

Davinity made by my aunt

Osyter soup on Christmas eve.

Usually an angel, but this year the top of the tree is right up to the ceiling.

Giving.

Too many good ones to have a favorite.

Yum

Rudolph

Rudolph, Frosty and Christmas Carol

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Egg Nog and hot spiced cider
2. Does Santa wrap presents or set under tree? She prefers the reusable fancy bags....
3. Colored lights on tree/house? White lights on the stair railings to the front door, a large wreath by the door and colored lights around the pole light-wound with tinsel and topped with a holly crown.
4. Hang mistletoe? Eeek! Not in cold and flu season!

1. When do you put up decorations? I start to decorate on Dec. 1st outside, and usually put the tree up by the 5th.

1. Favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? I love to smell the stuffed turkey baking...

1. Favorite holiday memory as a child? Sneaking down the creaky steps all atremble to see the presents under the tree after my parents had finally gone to bed...

2. When did you learn the truth about Santa? We never did the Santa thing, and never missed it! The love and fun that goes with giving needs no embellishment.

1. When do you open gifts? Some Christmas eve, some Christmas day.

1. How do you decorate your tree? Lots of white lights, with snowflakes, winged things-birds all over, butterflies, dragonflies, leaves and acorns...the theme is "The Carol of the Birds"
2. Snow! Love it or dread it? Love the beauty.
3. Do you know how to ice skate? Only on my ankles...
4. Your favorite gift? None stand out, not that they're not wonderful-it's just the giving that's really fun.
5. What's the most important thing about the holidays for you? The Gift- Ephesians 28-9 the get-togethers and family
6. Favorite holiday dessert? Christmas cookies!
7. Favorite tradition? Making hundreds of sugar decorated Christmas cutout cookies with aunts and cousins.

1. What tops your tree? A large feather monarch butterfly-in memory of a special day with my Mom.

1. What do you prefer, giving or getting? Giving-but I don't mind a few shiny packages under the tree with my name on them.

1. Favorite Christmas song? :D I love Christmas music and begin listening to my large collection on November 1st. Right now 'Happy Holidays'-the Jackie Gleason version is playing. But I love a boys choir, classical, traditional, the

50's era goodies like Frank S, Bing etc and even totally obnoxious Ray Coniff Singers. We refer to them as the Wide Mouth Singers...AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH You can't beat Vince Guaraldi's soundtrack to A Charlie Brown Christmas.... I don't know if I could pick A favorite song. .

1. Candy canes Yuck or yum I like the melty peppermint sticks.

21 RUDOLPH THE RED NOSED REINDEER OR HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS Both

1. Favorite Holiday Movie? I love 'A Charlie Brown Christmas'

yes

yes

only on the tree

all year long

they sort of straggle up starting anytime after Thanksgiving. The only thing on a schedule is the tree, that goes up on the 19th.

cheese and nuts and fruit

Dad's side christmas afternoon at the firehall with gramma and the 847 aunts, uncles, cousins, second, third, and fourth cousins, and one homeless guy who snuck in for a good dinner. A clutch of aunts talking and trying to figure out how he was related while all the uncles just stood around and grinned. The uncles knew because one of them had actually invited him, and told him "Don't worry about it! Anybody who would care will be so busy trying to figure out the connection they won't realize til New Years." Gramma knew, and she just grinned and gave him a glass of her special Christmas wine. Which set the aunts to debating whether gramma might have a boyfriend.

Oh my, did Santa come out? Was it The Enquirer or The Weekly World News? How is Mrs. Claus taking it? After all they have been married for _centuries_! Is she gonna be on Oprah?

Christmas morning at the buttcrack of dawn. This is because children have been told that they may not awaken the adults before it is light out. Which of course has led to some interesting conversations overheard by adults who are trying to still be asleep. (Is that the sun? No that is a streetlight. Is it getting light over there? No that is Mrs. Gullotti's baby Jesus, he glows. There! That's it! No, that is the truck lot light coming on. Why is the truck lot light coming on on Christmas? Dunno.)

With reckless abandon.

It's very pretty if you don't have to shovel it or walk in it.

Nope.

Probably the rocking horse we got for DD3 when she was six. She specificly asked for one big enough for her when she saw Santa at the mall. I was in a state of panic, because she had asked Santa for a rocking horse and a Mr Potato Head, and we had gotten neither. Then a friend of ours came through. Seems his old spring horse from when he was small was in storage with his mom's stuff, and he offered it up. It was big enough for her, and we snuck it in and set it up on Christmas eve. When DD came out and saw it Christmas morning she got this look of awe on her face, reached out and touched it, and said "He came"

Making happy.

probably the pudd, or alternatively anything I can put whipped cream on.

Singing The Who's Christmas song before opening presents.

a star

Giving

As long as I get to sing it almost any of them. Though I confess a secret fondness for Good King Kong (PDQ Bach), Angels We have Heard on High and Cantique de Noel have such glorious soprano parts.

This year we have everlasting gobstopper ones. We shall see. Usually I can handle about one a year before I am burned out on them.

Yes

The Box of Delights

NightMist

The sewing machine I got when I was 11. It was wrapped and under the tree for a week, which was unusual because under the tree was normally empty until Christmas Eve. Mom told me it was a tool box for my Dad, and I believed her until she made me open it.

More like a nice cold Coke down here.

All presents are wrapped and under the tree, except for the little things in the stockings.

Just a few! :-) DH has become more obsessed with this over the last few years. Inside is decorated quite well and outside now has over 11000 lights of various colours and types. (He's a computer geek - it's all in a database.) There's also a front room on display with one or two (dozen) teddies and a few lights. You can see just a few pics at

under Galleries - Christmas, if you're interested.

I don't think that's done so much down here. It certainly wouldn't be growing for real anywhere nearby.

DH starts late October, early November on the outside. I start late Nov on the inside. We aim to have it all turned on for December 1. We were just a couple of days late this year.

A few years ago we discovered a ready made turkey product from Lenard's (poultry yummies shop down here). It's cooked turkey with cranberry and macadamia stuffing. Eat it cold or heat it up. Yummy, easy and perfect for a summer Christmas day when you don't want an oven going for hours. Cheap? Nup, but the taste and convenience more than make up for it. :-)

When my dad played the company santa to give out the pressies and we all got to sit on the back of the truck with him. My little sister was the only one of the four of us who didn't know it was Dad and she thought we'd been chosen especially (don't know what she thought we'd done to deserve it, mind you!)

Don't remember, but obviously before the event in no.7.

Christmas morning. As a kid, after we'd all had breakfast and cleaned our teeth. Now, still Christmas morning, but DH and I allow ourselves to loll around in PJs and eat stocking-stuffer chocolates before breakfast.

It's evolved over the years until now EVERY ornament on it either is or includes a teddy. It's amazing how much Christmas teddy stuff there is out there!

More like beach sand. No snow this way, especially in December.

Yes, a little, but it's not a skill I use that often. There are only two ice rinks in town, after all. :-)

One that means the person has thought about me. One year Mum gave me a basket full of little sewing gadgety things. I still haven't used a number of them, but the fact that she picked out a whole bunch of stuff related to something she knew I loved doing was rather incredible.

Firstly, the whole reason for the existence of Christmas. It's not the commercial hoohah, but the celebration of the birth of Christ (whether it happened at this time of year or not). Secondly, getting together with family and friends.

Hmm, maybe FMPs. That's fruit mince pies, to those who like to say things in full. Yum!

Carols by Candlelight. It's an Australian tradition. People gather on a warm summer evening in local parks, down by the beach etc and sing carols by, of course, candlelight. There are now huge ones that are produced corporately, but the best ones are still the local community getting together and singing. We haven't had much tradition as a family though. I guess DH and I have made our stockings a tradition. Mine always has a bag of lolly bananas, for instance, and his has the darkest possible Lindt chocolate (85% cocoa).

See no.10. Yep, it's a star, but it has a teddy coming out of it. It sounds, and even looks, a little weird, but it's cute. I just got it this year. Before that, it was just a star.

Giving is great, especially when I've made the gifts. I love to see the reactions. We only open one present at a time in our family so when all 17 of us in the three generations get together, it takes a while to get through the presents. It means that everyone gets to see everyone else get theirs though and I think that is important.

Farily traditional here. Hark the Herald Angels and Little Drummer Boy would be up there for sure.

Depends what mood I'm in! The fruit ones are nicer though.

Never seen either movie. Never heard of the first one and seen ads for the second that make me not want to see it. :-)

I don't think I have one. Maybe it's not so traditional to watch movies at this time as it's summer and there's so much more to do...

This has been interesting.

unless they are small, and then they are dropped in the stocking!

tree. Normally I would put on white.

known to wait until the 15th of December if buying a live tree.

Christmas morning.

open presents, and therefor letting the kids get away with opening everything on Christmas eve!

and showered/dressed and then we sit down to Christmas breakfast together before we all rip presents open at the same time!

to me. This year, I handed each ornament to DD and let her put it on the tree where she thought it should go! It's a lovely 2YO decorating job!

with the paper and boxes!

that's loaded with alcohol! I can't even remember the name of the thing, but it is fantastic!

people have a wicked sense of humor!

near the top, but there is a light at the very top and I didn't want to cover it up!

everyone with something unusual or unique, and getting those reactions and compliments on handmade goodies give that all over warm fuzzy feeling!

this song before Clay recorded it on his Christmas album, and I just love to hear him sing! My other favorite? Silver Bells!

movies in general. I'd prefer a good football game any day!

Dannielle

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Egg Nog
2. Does Santa wrap presents or set under tree?

Puts wrapped one under the tree

1. Colored lights on tree/house?

Both

1. Hang mistletoe? Not since the year we lived in KY and climbed trees to get it.

1. When do you put up decorations?

Week-end after Thanksgiving

1. Favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?

Steak on the grill

1. Favorite holiday memory as a child?

The year my DM made matching outfits for my 2 big dolls, and sat them in a new rocking chair for me.

1. When did you learn the truth about Santa? Sometime after I was 7, but no idea when
2. When do you open gifts?

Depends on what time DH and family get here. If it's way after 10PM the boys get their socks, and the rest waits till morning. If it's not too late, we open after they get here. We always have Christmas here either a week before or a week after Christmas. This year it will be this week-end.

1. How do you decorate your tree?

colored mini lights and glass ornaments, with LOTS of glass icicles (sparkly ones) 11. Snow! Love it or dread it?

Love it!!!!!! Unfortunately here in central OH we don't get hardly any. I grew up in VT, lived in ND and MI, and I miss snow.

1. Do you know how to ice skate? Yes, but don't
2. Your favorite gift?

see # 7

1. What's the most important thing about the holidays for you?

Time with family

1. Favorite holiday dessert? Nothing special
2. Favorite tradition?

Putting together the Advent calendar for DGS's

1. What tops your tree? This year a big gold bell with ribons and flowers. Other years a small Angel. I switch every other year.
2. What do you prefer, giving or getting?

Giving

1. Favorite Christmas song? Joy to The World
2. Candy canes Yuck or yum Neither 21 RUDOLPH THE RED NOSED REINDEER OR HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS Neither 22. Favorite Holiday Movie? Don't have one

It's been fun reading everyone's answers!

I like them both

Wraps them, now that DD is grown

White lights on tree

Nope, that's just askin for trouble

When I get aroundtuit

Baugna Caulda, capelletis & Potica

I got a portable tv when I was about 12. That would have been around 1967

I think I pretty much figured out that mom was Santa when I was about 7 or so

Always Christmas morning until DD went away to college. Now we open them in the evening before dinner. We always have friends for Christmas Eve and family for Christmas day.

We always had huge, fresh trees. Then when we moved into this house, I had no room for a big tree so I got a 6' alpine tree (DH calls it a "rocket tree"). I wired the lights on it and for several years it hung sideways from wire in the attic. Then DH had back surgery and so the tree gets undecorated and stands all year in a corner of our bedroom. I sometimes turn the lights on. It's cool. I did have to have DH fire up the compressor so he could dust it off. It was covered with white dog hair. I guess I could have pretended it was tinsel.

Most ornaments are folk art. I have about a dozen nativity sets. I usually put out one or two. I love those cheapy little paper houses. I have some old ones, I made some and found a couple little ones earlier this year at Target and a couple bigger ones at WalMart. I have 3 feather trees that are set up in different rooms.

Hate it. We've had enough now. Time for spring.

Yes

I'm hardly ever surprised because I snoop. I can't help myself. It's always been this way. DH got me a VCR in th early 80's. Paid something like $700 for it. Unbelievable. Nobody else we knew had one. That was a cool gift.

Food, Family & Friends. Most everyone is in a good mood.

Potica

DD and I have an "English" tea on Christmas evening.

A red velvet bow with long streamers.

Giving, definitely.

Christine Ebersole singing "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and anything Transiberian.

I LOVE them! I stir my hot tea with them. Yum!

Emmit Otter's Jugband Christmas. It's a muppet movie and it was so good. I ought to google and see if I can find it.

That was fun!

Cindy

do explain.. why do some of you not wrap presents? I kind of fail to see why not. even at 12 months my kids loved the surprise of a wrapped prezzie - I just used less tape and made opening easier but they are both expert paper removers already

Only the present from Santa is unwrapped.

This is the Big Gift that is largest in size, must be assembled, or is horrific to wrap, and usually the most expensive. Examples are the guitar, the stereo system, the sleeping bags, the back pack (for serious backpack camping), and the bicycle. Wrapping an assembled bicycle is a nightmare! Putting a bow on it is much kinder. One year, however, Santa

*hid* our big presents. We were all teens and the parents thought we'd peek. We did not peek! I found my brother's backpack in the closet. He found my fishing pole under the couch. He thought Santa brought him the pole until I offered to keep the backpack. Only I didn't say it that way. I said, "I'll trade ya the fishing pole for what's in the closet!"

Santa gifts are unlabeled, because handwriting would be too identifiable. Santa writes like Mom! Shocking! And we honestly would not notice the labels on the "who from" for a while, but we would not notice a lack of a tag to see what Santa brought, either. Santa gifts are to be Noticeable. The reaction to these gifts are what Da tried to catch on film as we entered the room.

Tags are important in my family, because as soon as you were aware of what giving meant, you were encouraged to want to give presents to everyone else. I made presents before I could afford to buy them. Mom may have written "from the Cat" or "from the Tooth fairy" but she never put someone else's name on the gift. And all other gifts are wrapped.

-georg

Well in my for instance it was almost always a case of "how to wrap it?"

A new doll in a baby buggy or a bicycle.

And there was just something magical about running into the living room and seeing the tree lights sparkling off the chrome of the bike. It was like you were dreaming.

Most of our gifts were wrapped and none of this shoving more than one thing in a bag like I do now. My mom wrapped 15 cent color books separately.

She was as excited about Christmas as us kids. And she did it all over again for the grandkids. She's been gone 5 years now. I really miss her.

Cindy

Hot chocolate, but a mint mocha would be even better

Wraps them

No lights outside (we're in a condo, behind a privacy fence. Lots of tiny white lights on the tree.

No

It's a process that starts soon after Thanksgiving. The first thing is the Christmas quilt on my bed. Then a few outdoor things and gradually add more stuff inside. The tree is the last, usually about 10 days before Christmas. We have a real tree, and I like to keep it up at least through the 12 days of Christmas.

Fudge, made from my aunt Mary's recipe.

The year some of my sister's and my dolls disappeared shortly before Christmas. When we got home from church on Christmas Eve, Santa had been there and left our dolls in their new clothes under the tree.

I don't remember -- couldn't have been too traumatic.

When I was a child, we had our Sunday School program on Christmas Eve. Santa came while we were in church (for some reason, we always had to wait in the car for Mom to finish getting ready to go :). When our children were small, it was also after church on Christmas Eve. Now both our children spend Christmas Eve with the in-laws, so we open gifts on Christmas Day.

Little white lights, lots of miscellaneous ornaments acquired over the years, some of them old ones from our parents, many of them homemade.

Like to look at it; hate to drive in it.

Yes, though it's been years since I did it.

As a child, new clothes for my doll (see # 7 above). As an adult, my engagement ring and 4 years later, my son (born on Dec 23)

Spending time with friends

Cheesecake, especially my Irish Cream Cheesecake

Singing Silent Night by candlelight at the Christmas Eve church service.

An angel with lights in her dress and in her hands. We bought it the first year we were married, and it has been on our tree every year.

Giving, especially gifts that I have made.

Silent Night

Not yuck, but not my favorite either.

Charlie Brown Christmas

Julia in MN

Depends on the weather/temperature/time of day. But I do love eggnog and it is only available ready-to-drink for a few weeks each year.

Yes. Our "big" gifts were always unwrapped, but others were/are wrapped

Yes, if we did them. Haven't put up lights for several years.

Sometimes

When we did/do decorate, it would start after Thanksgiving. (We sort of stopped when I worked at House of Fabrics/JoAnn's and did the set up of the Holiday stuff.... putting out Christmas flowers in August, fabrics out by then and so on, I got burned out on Holiday "decorating" early.)

Tie between Sweet Potato Pudding and my family "Ambrosia Salad"

Not sure of specific one, but they all involve family, extended family and being together.

What "Truth"? Everyone knows that Santa is alive and well. He delivers gifts and is very wise and has lots and lots of helpers.

We always open gifts on Christmas day. Often all day long because only one package at a time may be opened. That gives everyone time to see what everyone else gets and to oooooh and aaaahhhh. The only exception may be if several people are getting exactly "the same" gift. And not always then. Can you tell that we had fun with gift opening??

Right now my "tree" is not too decorated. But I just got some ornaments and garland to sew on to it. But then there is the little tree which was decorated, but I think one of the cats had fun removing the tiny ornaments..... somewhere there is a 4" artificial tree that may go up one year to display all the ornaments I have collected. And always a "traditional" multi color, fun tree.

It is pretty. But cold. Around here it is a novelty!

I have been on ice skates, in a rink. But since I have no sense of balance, well.......

the next one.

Not sure, Depends on the mood. Probably Pumpkin Pie.

Being in Tucson on Christmas day. And tamales. Gotta have tamales. One of the others that many find sort of strange.... no big meal on Christmas. We just "browse" starting with juice/coffee and breakfast "snacks" on to sandwiches and such (along with the tamales) and cookies, and so on.

A star.... five pointed. Or nothing but branches and pine needles.

I enjoy both, but do love to give things that I know the recipient will enjoy and appreciate.

A medley of them all? Don't think I can pick only one. Favorite tear jerker would be the country song about "Christmas Carol" who is looking for a family.

Cinnamon ones.... Or peppermint ones in Hot Cocoa

Yes. Love both, and both have their place.

Has to be The Classic "It's a Wonderful Life" or "Miracle on 34th St."

Same here!

Hot Chocolate with dark chocolate, like in France.

Wrap presents.

On the tree. The kids love 'em.

Hmm.. never. Wonder why.

This year, it was last weekend.

My mom's Christmas dinner (a big Chinese feast).

Getting a toy washing machine from a family friend.

Don't remember.

Christmas Eve. DH's family opens on Christmas day, so it works great.

Lights, little red balls, various ornaments.

Love it. But, I live in the bay area, northern California. No snow.

Yes.

DH's every year. He somehow manages to get the perfect gifts. Last year, it was the Berkeley Revolver and I was totally flabbergasted. One year, it was fleece socks.

Having the kids visit family.

Pumpkin pie.

Presents under the tree

Nothing special.

Getting. I'm bad at figuring out what other people want. I keep getting them what I think they want, but it always turns out to be what I would want, if I were them.

"Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree", Brenda Lee's version.

Yuck

Rudolph

"It's a Wonderful Life"

-- Anita --