In an attempt to jump-start my holiday spirit

I'm going to answer some questions that were on both Marybeth's and Alison's blogs. Maybe it can keep me from being my normal Grinchy self this time of year.

20+ Holiday Questions

Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?

Love them both. I make a great home-made egg nog, one that you can either spike or not (and more people than not actually want their nog un-spiked I have found). But I also love the store-bought thick crapnog and there's nothing better than a mug-full of hot chocolate to give you that special chocolate buzz with a hint of peppermint. Mmmmm.

Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?

Wrapped. The only exception being the stuff that gets put inside the stocking. Or maybe a stuffed animal. Okay, both wrapped and unwrapped.

Colored or white lights on tree/house?

I don't care so long as it's one or the other. Nothing bugs me more than trees/houses with both white and colored lights on them. Coordination, people! Coordination! Oh, and no blinking lights! Especially when one strand blinks and then another. Have them go in running relays if you're going to have them blink. Ugh!

Do you hang mistletoe?

I'm not particularly fond of parasites, but mistletoe does have its uses. But to answer the question, no, not really. It's just another dead thing in my house.

When do you put your decorations up?

Here's where I become the Grinch. Christmas decorations (with the exception of the Advent Calendar and the Advent Wreath) do NOT go up until Christmas Eve. Decorations then come down on Epiphany, Jan 6. Period. End of Story. It's not Christmas until then, so why put up decorations until then? This is how we always did it growing up. From others I have spoken to, this is a German tradition, which makes sense for my family to follow seeing as how both sides are heavily German. I mean, when you have a town in Alsace/Lorraine that one of your family's names is from, hello! You're German! And no, I don't acknowledge France's occupation of that area. It's German, thankyouverymuch! But for The Husband, Christmas decorations should go up immediately after Thanksgiving. Ugh. Too much crap out for far too long, IMO. So, we've kind of come to a compromise on this. We didn't put up our tree until yesterday. I'll grumble about it, but I can live with it.

What is your favorite holiday dish (non-dessert)?

Hrm. This is a hard one. I think I'll have to settle for my mother's hearty winter soup. It's got keilbasca in it, and is definitely a great meal on it's own or a side dish.

Biggest Christmas peeve?

Again with the ranting here. I hate obnoxious Christmas music. Like the stuff all the modern musicians have done "jazzing" up all the old standards. It didn't need your help, buddy. Quit ruining the melody of Little Drummer Boy, mmmkay? You can't even sing along with them! Feh. And don't start playing that crap until the middle of December, either. When I turned on my radio the day after Thanksgiving and the station was playing some of the afore-mentioned Christmas tunes, I wanted to puke. Those that start playing it before Thanksgiving need to be firebombed. 'Nuff said.

What is your favorite holiday dessert/treat?

Aside from eggnog, I have to say the Busch d' Noel. Chocolate-y and creamy goodness all dressed up to look like a wooden log. Brilliant! I need to try to make my own this year I think. And if I could ever find them again, there is this bakery that makes these German anise-flavored cookies that are the cat's meow. My Grandfather was the one that always bought them and I never knew where he got them from so I'll have to figure out someway to get them. Kind of difficult seeing as how I don't even know what they're called. Aaargh.

Favorite holiday childhood memory?

The whole decorating the house on Christmas Eve day. And then the days when we would get to invite a friend over and we would either make taffy or make a gingerbread house. The best!

Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?

All gifts are opened on Christmas Eve in my family - again, a German tradition. Then Santa/stocking gifts on Christmas Day. For The Husband's family, they open one gift on Christmas Eve and then everything else on Christmas Day. So now we do the one gift/all gifts thing. It really makes no difference in the end, right?

Garlands or Tinsel?

Showy and overdone. Tinsel only ends up coming out of the butt of the cat and garlands are just overdone drivel. Now a string of pretty beads is okay, but the big frou-frou stuff has got to go.

Snow: Love or Hate?

Love it. Don't get enough of it. That's the problem with living in a desert.

Can you ice-skate?

Never attempted. Yet.

Do you remember your favorite gift?

Last year The Husband bought me a pachinko machine. While it's not one of the old-fashioned ones and is instead very modern electronic, it still makes the same tink-tink-tink sounds that I'm addicted to from my childhood and I could play it for hours. There's also a whole story attached to it about how it finally got here that I'll share another day.

What's the most important thing about the holidays to you?

Being together with the ones you love.

What is your favorite holiday tradition?

Putting out your shoes for St. Nicholas on Dec. 6. Creeping out of bed in the wee hours of the morning to make St. Lucia rolls for mom and dad on Dec. 10. Midnight Mass. Shall I go on?

What tops your tree?

Well, I've never found the perfect star or angel, so right now a silly needlework angel that The Husband's grandmother made is on top of it. It helps him remember the good times with her and that's more important than something fashionable or outre.

Which do you prefer, giving or receiving?

Definitely giving. I'm not good at receiving gifts at all. Hate it.

Favorite Christmas song?

This is a hard one. I love Little Drumer Boy and Adeste Fideles. But I have to say that my favorite is Hark, The Herald Angels Sing. And only because we sang a kick-ass arrangement of it in my college choir.

What do you want for Christmas?

This year my list is topped by two things: a new tattoo and a new ear piercing(s). Body modification is the way to go for me this year. Hee! As much as I hate making gift lists, I sat down and wrote one out for The Husband to help him out. I've got a few books on there, a few DVDs (Gilbert & Sullivan and Dr. Who - never say that I'm not original!), and a few quilting books/tools. No clothes this year, thank you. Save that for next year when I'm (hopefully!) at goal.