Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Christmas Survey

I was reading a blog that I frequent (http://laureality.blogspot.com/) and she had a survey regarding Christmas on one of her recent posts. I thought it was a great way to get to know people, so I'm posting it here as well.

Eggnog or hot chocolate?
Hot chocolate. I've never been a fan of eggnog.

Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
Santa wraps them unless it is a really large gift, like a bike. Those gifts he just leaves unwrapped under the tree.

White or multi-colored lights on tree/house?
I love multi-colored lights on my tree and house.

Do you hang mistletoe?
Sometimes. I didn't this year, but I did last year.

When do you put your decorations up?
The day after Thanksgiving. My mother, my sister, my aunt, and I get up early on Black Friday and do some shopping. I usually come home and take a nap and then I put up the tree. However, this year I got out the tree and the decorations but I was too exhausted to put the tree up. I put it up on Saturday morning instead.

When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
I think I was around 7 or 8 years old. We were living in a small two-bedroom apartment (we being my parents, my sister, and myself) and my entire family was sleeping over for Christmas (entire family being my grandparents, my mom's siblings with their spouses, and their children: about 12 additional people). All of the kids were sleeping in my room on the floor. The adults were sleeping on the beds and sleeper sofa. It was a packed house. We usually did this every year, but we rotated between our house, my grandparents house, and my aunt's house. I was really excited waiting for Christmas morning to arrive. I couldn't sleep so I got up and went to go get something to drink from the kitchen. I saw my parents and my aunts bringing presents in from the cars outside. That is when I knew there was no Santa. I was completely crushed! I guess I must have suspected it for a while, but when I saw them carrying gifts and the surprised look on their faces when they saw me, it confirmed my suspicions.

How do you decorate your Christmas tree?
Multi-colored lights, gold garland, various glittery ornaments along with a few traditional, solid-colored balls, with a gold, glittery bow with streamers as a topper.

Snow! Love it or dread it?
Love it. I live in Kentucky and we have fairly cold winters here; however, we don't get a whole lot of snow. We'll have flurries a few times during the winter and maybe two or three times we may actually get 2 or 3 inches of snow. Once every few years we might get 4 or 5 inches. About every 10 years we'll have a good snow of 8 to 10 inches.

Do you remember your favorite gift?
My favorite gift was my camera, but I got that for my birthday. My favorite gift as a kid is a tie between my first bicycle (with a Pink Panther banana seat) or my first computer (Commodore 64 - remember those! lol You had to purchase an external floppy drive that used those big disks to really do anything with the computer).

What’s the most important thing about the holidays for you?
Getting together with my family.

What is your favorite holiday dessert?
Pecan Pie with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. Yum!

What is your favorite holiday tradition?
I love all of it. My family used to do a gift exchange on Christmas Eve. On Thanksgiving Day everyone would put their names in a bowl and each person would draw a name. This gift would be opened on Christmas Eve. I think our grandparents devised this as a way to keep the kids from asking over and over if they could open "just one gift." When my sister and I were kids we would wake up early in the morning and go stare at the Christmas Tree. We had to wait until 7am before we could wake up my parents. We also had to have a pot of coffee brewed for my Mom and a Diet Pepsi for Dad. My sister would wake up really early and then she would wake me up. I would start thinking about opening the presents and I couldn't go back to sleep. There were a couple of years where she got up around 4 am. Waiting 3 hours when your a kid who wants to open gifts seems like an eternity!

What tops your tree?
A hand-made bow with streamers that extend down the length of the tree.

Which do you prefer, giving or receiving?
Everyone love to get gifts. I love to give, especially when I've picked out a gift that I know someone is going to be excited about getting.

What is your favorite Christmas song?
I love them all! I burn an mp3 CD with over a hundred Christmas songs by various artists and play it over and over in my car. While I'm at work, I listen to a local radio station that plays Christmas music all through December

Candy canes?
I have a couple on my tree but I don't usually eat them (unless they are chocolate or fruit flavored).

Favorite Christmas movie?
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation - hands down.

What do you leave for Santa?
When I was a kid we would leave out cookies and milk. Since I don't have any kids right now, Santa doesn't come to our house so I don't leave anything for him.

I'd love to hear about your Christmas traditions.

I've been really sick this week with a severe head/chest cold with a sore throat and an ear infection in each ear (happens every time I get a cold or sinus infection). It has been a real bummer. There were some things I wanted to get finished this week (like maybe doing some more shopping and wrapping a few gifts), but I've been too sick to get them done. I hope I get well soon so I can really enjoy the Christmas season!


My Christmas Tree This Year


Poinsettia Ornament

Bow Ornament

5 comments:

  1. Your Christmas tree is beautiful. I especially love the bow ornament. How unique! We aren't putting a tree up. We have 2 new indoor kittens that are busy tearing up our house and I don't think they will do well with a tree - lol. I might lock them up Christmas morning and set out a small tree for Kali to enjoy for a couple hours. Probably the best I can do. It won't look as beautiful as yours though :).

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  2. Interesting post. I love reading about other bloggers.

    I do hope you feel better soon. That creeping crud is awful anytime, but especially near the holidays. Just take it easy and enjoy that lovely tree.

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  3. Beautiful pictures! Your tree is perfect :)

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  4. Melissa - your tree is beautiful! Loved reading these fun things about you on your Christmas Survey. I don't like eggnog either and I don't think I know anyone who does - lol!

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  5. Your tree is really pretty as are your photos! :)

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