This has popped up on a few of the DCF Ladies' blogs recently, and I figured I'd jump in on it too. I haven't done a survey in ages. (Remember the pre-blog era when these used to be passed around via email? It wasn't THAT long ago... oh wait... my blog turned 5 this year.) Anyway. In the spirit of merriment, here is a Christmas-themed survey/questionnaire. I refuse to call it a meme, although I can't really tell you why. :)
1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Both. I buy wrapping paper because it is cheaper than gift bags; however, if I receive a gift bag, I'll recycle it. I prefer paper though; there's just something about cutting and folding neat corners and the smell of Scotch tape...
2. Real tree or artificial? Fake.
3. When do you put up the tree? Whenever I get around to it, after Advent starts. The latest I've ever done it was after midnight on Christmas Eve, but that was unusual. This year it was Gaudete Sunday (3rd Sunday in Advent). Maybe next year I'll start making actual traditions (since after all, we'll have a kid and kids need holiday traditions!).
4. When do you take the tree down? Whenever I get around to it, after Epiphany.
5. Do you like eggnog? You know, I'm honestly not sure if I've ever had it.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? Possibly my Teddy Bear, whom I slept with until I got married. But I can also think of some dolls that I loved when I was a little girl.
7. Do you have a Nativity scene? I have two, actually. There is a small, clear glass one on my desk at work. And my main ceramic Nativity (with wooden barn that sheds dried moss everywhere, and brightly painted figures that are somewhat mysteriously coated in glitter; it was cheap, but I still love it) at home, which is not up yet because I can't decide where to put it. I also have a couple of Holy Family sculptures.
I'm extremely picky about Nativity scenes. First of all, it has to include all the major characters: Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus, at least one shepherd, three kings, some animals, and preferably an angel. Maybe it's not historically accurate to have everybody there at once, but at least it gives you all the pieces to remember the whole story! Secondly, Baby Jesus has to be separate from the manger (because he gets placed there on Christmas Eve, of course!). And thirdly, of course, it should be nice-looking; as my mom would say, they need to have nice faces. :)
8. Hardest person to buy for? Seems like it's someone different every year.
9. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? As one who believes firmly in the idea that "It is the thought that counts", I cannot ever in good conscience say that a gift was "bad" or the "worst". (I suppose I could say that if anyone ever gave me a gift expressly for the purpose of hurting my feelings or showing their malice toward me, but happily that has never happened, that I know of.) Therefore, I will rephrase this question to "Most puzzling Christmas gift you ever received?" and the answer to it remains, a plastic leaf glued to a piece of paper.
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail. Never on time though.
11. Favorite Christmas Movie? It's a Wonderful Life, One Magic Christmas, Mickey's Christmas Carol, A Disney Channel Christmas, and Small One (and I haven't watched ANY of them yet this year! I'm running behind!)
12. When do you start shopping for Christmas? I'd say October at the earliest.
13. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? I'm sure I have. As an addendum to question 9, recognizing that the thought is what counts doesn't mean that I keep every single thing I receive. Sometimes things really aren't my taste or I don't get much use out of them, and when that happens I have absolutely no qualms about "regifting" something to someone else if I think they will enjoy it more.
14. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Everything? :) Let's see, favorites that I ONLY get at Christmas: peppermint stick ice cream with hot fudge (heaven), and homemade frosted cut-out sugar cookies. I think I might be doing some baking on Saturday. ;)
15. Clear lights or colored on the tree? multi-colored!
16. Favorite Christmas song? Too many to list. I love all the traditional carols and would love to find an album with all of them done in simple choral arrangements, rather than the butchered versions by modern artists that you hear on the radio. But I also love a lot of the more contemporary songs, although I'm VERY particular about which versions. For example, The Christmas Song by Nat King Cole, White Christmas by Bing Crosby, Let it Snow by Dean Martin, Silver Bells by Bing Crosby and Ella Fitzgerald, and so on. (And for the record, the worst Christmas song ever is The Christmas Shoes, although there are others that rank high on this list as well.)
17. Travel at Christmas or stay home? As long as my family lives 3 hours away, we'll always be traveling at some point around Christmas.
18. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer? Yes, I can. :)
19. Angel on the tree top or a star? Angel. (Actually, I have a teddy bear angel.)
20. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? This could be a trick question depending on what your Christmas traditions are. For example, if I'm going to see someone on Christmas Eve but not Christmas Day, then it makes sense to open presents with them on Christmas Eve. But in general, I would say open presents on Christmas Day.
21. Most annoying thing about this time of year? It's annoying that for the secular world, the "holiday season" starts right after Halloween and ends at 11:59 PM on Christmas Day. The arguments that come up every year about people who do or don't say "Merry Christmas" and where it's okay to have a Nativity Scene, are annoying. I find it depressing that people come out of the woodwork to go to church on Christmas Eve but don't bother the rest of the year. (Ironically, Joe loves that people still cling to that tradition and says it means there is hope for them to start coming all the time -- usually I think I am the more optimistic one and he is the pessimist. He's not wrong, but I still find it depressing.) This year, the number of issues we've had with things ordered online not being sent has been very annoying. The uber-commercialization of what should be a holy day is annoying. But overall, the most annoying thing about this time of year is The Christmas Shoes song.
Merry Christmas to all, and God bless us, every one!