Monday, December 7, 2009

How We Celebrate Christmas

My Friend Betty at A Glimpse Into Midlife did this Christmas meme  titled How We Celebrate Christmas. I really liked reading her answers about how she celebrates Christmas with her family in Paraguay. The other thing I liked about the meme is that it made me think about my own family's Christmas traditions  and I liked the idea of thinking about them, not just doing them out of habit.

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
I really like egg nog as a Christmas time treat.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
Santa leaves presents under the tree on Christmas Eve.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
Colored lights on the tree and white lights on the bushes in front of the house.

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
I don't hang mistletoe, even thought I grew up in Oklahoma where mistletoe is the state flower.


5. When do you put your decorations up?
Decorations go up throughout December....I can't face it all at once. The tree goes up in the middle of December. We may have to forego outdoor decorations this year due to very cold temperatures that have the gound frozen and bushes covered with snow.

6. Favorite Holiday memory as a child?
Lots of aunts, uncles and cousins coming for Christmas.

7. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
I don't remember how old I was, but I knew for a couple of years before I admitted it.

8. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
One gift on Christmas Eve.

9 How do you decorate your Christmas tree?
My tree would in no way qualify as a designer tree. It has decorations  made by brother and I when we were kids, and ornaments made by my kids and by my grandchildren. I have ornaments that go back to my parents early Christmases during WWII. It has multicolored lights, multicolored bulbs, candy canes, and sometimes cookies. It has  ornaments that I have brought home from trips to foreign lands, ornaments that were gifts from friends and family, and a lifetime of memories.

10. Do you remember your favorite gift?
My favorite gift every year is a calendar with pictures of my grand children from the previous year.

11. What’s the most important thing about the Holidays for you?
Most important. That's a hard one. I like the mixture of religious and secular all stirred in with family and friends and good will. The food is good too.

12. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert?
Decorated sugar cookies.



13. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
My grandchildren coming to decorate my Christmas tree.

14. What tops your tree?
An angel that has been atop every Christmas tree of my life. I called her "The Christmas Lady" when I was little. She got a new dress about 20 years ago. She used to have wings with a light behind them. She is showing her age a bit like anyone in her sixties might, but she is much loved.

15. Favorite Christmas Show?



 







16. What is your favorite Christmas Song?
 Silver Bells.

I have made this a little shorter than Betty did, due to the cold, a short attention span and some frozen brain cells.  I'd love to hear about the Christmas traditions at your house.

8 comments:

  1. LOVE this! I think I'll do the same at Casa Hice!

    PS: So sorry the Abominable Snowman has cursed you with an unwelcome visit. But it's too early to be mad at the snow. Wait until April! It's positively balmy here tonight with a forecast high of 80 degrees tomorrow. I just took the garbage out and it's warm at 11:30 {ducking and running}! Don't worry tho Jeanie... the temps are going to drop again. Even in Florida, it gets cold. It just doesn't stay cold for long. Sending warm sunny Florida wishes your way.

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  2. #10 - Is that a hint?!?! : )

    Love, jill

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  3. I had many decorations when we started our married life in Canada. But when we moved to P. we shipped them down in a container. Unfortunately they didn´t make it, because the container was broken into and they stole all my decorations! Every year I still think about them and wish I had them back.
    I liked your answers and learning more about you!

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  4. We gather all eight grandchildren around Gramps recliner as he reads the first Christmas story from the Bible before we open presents. One year we let the kids act out the story which was a hoot. The wisemen gave gold, frankincense and fudge!

    Have a wonderfully blessed day!!!

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  5. We celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve. From my mother's Austrian heritage.

    Silly Haiku

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  6. Oh, I LOOOOVE this!

    My mother used to have a saying, "It just wouldn't feel like Christmas if Judy didn't get sick."

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  7. I'm Jewish, but my favorite Christmas song is The Little Drummer Boy. I cry almost every time I hear it.

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  8. How did I miss this at Betty's?! Mercy, maybe I'm more behind in my 'coffee stop' visiting than I thought! I'm going to 'snitch' it and do it on my blog, too.

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