47 days til Christmas
1. Real tree or fake tree?
Fake - for 2 reasons - 1. Less mess. 2. Do you know how much real trees cost? I'd rather pay once for my fake tree. Ok one more reason - 3. I've seen National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation - one word: squirrel. My fake tree last year:
2. Gift bags or gift wrap?
Both. I enjoy wrapping if its a nice square gift. If its a fry pan or something, gift bag all the way.
3. Favorite holiday movie.
I can't pick one - my top 3 - "Elf", "Home Alone" and "Christmas Vacation". Honorable mention, "The Grinch" - (both versions).
4. Favorite holiday food.
Hmmmm..... everything? I will note that the food we only have during the holidays are things I don't necessarily love, lol - these include lefse (yes I'm a horrible Norwegian), rice pudding (I don't love the texture but Lucas looks forward to his Grandma's rice pudding every year) and poppy seed bread (again - Lucas looooves it - me not so much - I almost was denied entry into the Little family after I refused poppy seed cake my first Christmas with them, ha! Luckily they reconsidered).
5. Black Friday shopping? Yes or no.
Ehh.. I've done it, yes. Ugh. I think if everyone was in a cheery, this is fun, holiday mood, I'd be all for it. But I encountered more annoying crabby people than nice people the one time I went. I don't know if these crabby people thought shopping on Black Friday would be a breeze or what..... I prefer my online shopping. OR I go out later in the afternoon/evening of Black Friday.
6. When do you put up the tree and when do you take it down?
I put it up Thanksgiving weekend and usually take it down New Year's weekend or the weekend after. Its a pain in the butt to drag everything out of storage and put up so I'm going to enjoy it, damn it.
7. Christmas Stockings? Yes or no.
Growing up - no. Not sure why? We never had a fire place or anywhere to hang them I guess? Lucas and I each have stockings now and each of the dogs has one. Lucas' family has stockings. I don't think his mom has actually put anything IN the stockings for quite some time though, ha. Our fireplace:
8. Favorite Christmas tune.
"White Christmas" by the Drifters; "Santa Baby" by Eartha Kitt; "Baby Its Cold Outside" by Dolly Parton and Rod Stewart; "O Holy Night" by Josh Groban.
9. Best Christmas gift.
The ones I can remember the most are my Cabbage Patch Doll - seriously they were sold out EVERYWHERE - I think my mom had to pull serious strings to get me one and the first family computer. That was a big deal when we got that thing!
10. Holiday traditions in your family.
Christmas Eve on my side involves going to one of my aunt's or uncle's house (they take turns hosting each year). We always have oyster stew and clam chowder (gag me I know) and potato soup (yum - my aunt makes killer potato soup) and snacks/cookies. We draw names, open presents, call it a day. Christmas morning we always opened presents at home with just my parents and my niece. My aunt and uncle always came over too (they now live across the street from mom and dad). Brunch is served. Its always interesting to me to hear/learn/experience other people's holiday traditions - when I first met Lucas I was able to experience new traditions. Christmas Eve is at grandma and grandpas (on his mom's side) with the whole family - there are ALOT of them. His mom has 6 siblings who all have decent size families. Unlike my family who "graze" for dinner, Lucas' family has a sit down meal followed by singing Christmas carols (some in Polish) - this blew me out of the water when I first started attending their Christmas. Of course I'm use to it now lol. Then Grandma reads out of the Bible (the story of Jesus' birth) and we go open gifts. Christmas at the Littles can get deafening! Lucas' family doesn't exchange names so we mostly watch Grandma and Grandpa open presents haha. Christmas Day on Lucas' side involves going to his parent's house for dinner and gifts. His dad's side use to come over but I think it was getting a bit much for them to get from their house out to Lucas' parent's and then everywhere else they need to go so now Lucas' aunt does a Christmas Open House type thing a week or so before actual Christmas and that seems to work fine.
Whew! That was windy - so what are your holiday traditions? I read a blog recently where the blogger's mom fixes an all white (or "cream") meal for Christmas Eve and then a very colorful meal for Christmas Day - apparently this is some sort of Czech tradition. I thought that was pretty cool.
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