Christmas Survey

I got this today and filled it out.

1.Hot Chocolate or Egg Nog? Hot Chocolate. Sometimes with peppermint schnapps.
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Santa wraps them now, however sometimes he doesn't label them and they get all mixed up.
3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? To be decided as we will put up our first Christmas tree in our house this year.
4. Do you hang mistletoe? No. I may not want to kiss everyone that walks under it.
5. When do you put your decorations up? About two weeks before Christmas if I'm lucky.
6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? I can’t include dessert? What kind of deranged questionnaire is this? I guess it would be stuffing, but I'm picky about what kind I like.
7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child: Rushing out to the living room to make sure Santa had been there before waking everyone up. I didn’t sit on Santa’s lap until I was in my 20’s.
8. When did you stop believing in Santa? Probably when I heard the disgruntled sounds of family members trying to put stickers on a cabbage patch stroller late one night. The sounds of midnight assembly weren’t always positive in my house.
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Sometimes we open all of our gifts on Christmas Eve. Depends on when the whole family can get together.
10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? This year starts a new tradition. All of the ornaments I have been collecting from my travels will make their first appearance and will go on the tree with new lights. We are buying a small live tree this year that hopefully we can re-plant. We don’t have many ornaments, and don’t have the time/energy this year to go out and buy lots more, so I’m going to wait for the after Christmas sales and work up to a huge beautiful tree. I decorate somewhat carelessly though. I find that competitively searching acre after acre for the perfect tree is more fun than 'taming' it so to speak. The same pumpkin patch hunting tactics apply, but I dress warmer and carry a saw.
11. Snow? You never know. I prefer that it falls after I’m where I need to be on the holiday.
12. Can you ice skate? Yes, one of my favorite things as a child to do on an outdoor pond. Now it hurts too much when I tumble, but I still make sure I go once a year if I can.
13. Do you remember your favorite gift? I remember my first tricycle, and my Barbie Dream House and many others, but I do not know my favorite.
14. What's the most exciting thing about the Holidays for you? Probably the Christmas Tree and decorations, and all of the parties.
15. What's your favorite holiday dessert? Apple, Lemon Merengue, Cherry, Pumpkin pie... Mom makes them all! Oh and the green Christmas tree shaped cookies Mom makes.
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Every Christmas Eve we gather around the tree and sing Christmas carols while my brother plays the violin. My Mom sings Silent Night and then my Dad reads us The Night Before Christmas. We sip hot chocolate in front of the fire and we each open one very special hand made gift from Santa. After a final group family hug, we put out the cookies and milk for Santa and go to bed so that Santa can come. I'm almost teary-eyed just thinking about what a wonderful Christmas that is in store. For someone, somewhere. Well, let's get real. Who really does that? Not me! Truthfully, spending our kind of quality time with the family and bickering with each other is good enough for me. We traditionally go to mass on Christmas Eve and I enjoy the folk ensemble that plays/sings. I also enjoy unwrapping the gifts! Although I wish my brother could play the violin.
17. What tops your tree? I can’t decide whether I want an angel or a star! My guess is that it will be a 20 lb cat.
18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving? What kind of dumb question is this? I love to give gifts. Oops, I cracked a smile. Ok, I do like to give gifts, but I also really like to receive gifts.
19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? Sleigh Ride! is my favorite. My favorite Christmas Soundtrack is the one with John Denver and the Muppets!
20. Do you like Candy Canes? Just a bite here and then.
21. What is your favorite Christmas Candy? Do they make Christmas candy? Not really into it I guess, not when there are pies and cookies to eat.
22. Do you celebrate Christmas for the Birth of Jesus or do you celebrate it as just another Holiday? A little bit of both I guess. I do go to mass every Christmas Eve, but when we drive home, I’m more looking for Santa Claus in the sky than I am the North Star.
23. When do you usually have your shopping done for Christmas? It depends. I used to ship all my gifts to location so I would be sure to complete it all before December, but this year I anticipate I will finish the week before Christmas. I only have a few more things to buy.
24. What would you like for Christmas this year? I have a list with a few items, but I’d like everything to go smoothly and to have a nice, fun time with everyone. We’ll be in MD and the Walsh’s are coming too.
25. What is the worst gift you have ever gotten? There have been some gifts I wasn’t really fond of, but nothing horrific.
26. Do you buy presents for pets? They get stockings, but usually the grandparents buy the gifts.
27. Who is the easiest to buy for? My husband, he seems to like everything and I always have tons of ideas for him.
28. Do you send out Christmas Cards? Yes, mailing them tomorrow!