Christmas questions

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

A friend of mine sent this to me, so I thought I’d just share it here for anyone that wants to add their own answers.

  1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper. The wife will buy it regardless of whether we need it or not.

  2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial. A real tree would be destroyed in milliseconds once the cats saw it.

  3. When do you put up the tree? Depends. Our stuff isn’t here yet since my PCS.

  4. When do you take the tree down? Usually january 2nd.

  5. Do you like eggnog? **Yes, but we usually buy it and forget about it until it has to be thrown away. **

  6. Favorite gift received as a child? **A 1970’s Schwinn Traveler 10 speed bike when I was around 13. **

  7. Hardest person to buy for? My wife.

  8. Easiest person to buy for? I don’t buy gifts for many other people. Its case by case.

  9. Do you have a nativity scene? **yep **

  10. Mail or email Christmas cards? both, most of the time.

  11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I got a really ugly shirt one year, really ugly. It was hard to act like I liked it.

  12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Christmas Carol with Alistair Simm. I watch it every year. Its a ritual.

  13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? ** the last minute.**

  14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No

  15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? No preference.

  16. Lights on the tree? ** yep **

  17. Favorite Christmas song? Carol of the Bells.

  18. Travel at Christmas or stay at home? Stay home

  19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer’s? Some of them.

  20. Angel on the tree top or a star? **Used to have a star, now we have a European Santa/ Saint Nick/ angel thingie. **

  21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? ** We alternate every year**

  22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? **Shopping…and that damned Grandma got runover by a reindeer song. Also any Chipmunks song. I loathe Alvin and the Chipmunks. **

  23. What theme or color are you using? **Don’t give it any thought. **

  24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? none. As long as I eat something.

  25. What do you want for Christmas this year? ** Peace on Earth or a lot of money.**

  26. Who is most likely to respond to this? ** I dunno.**

  27. Who is least likely to respond to this? ** …refer to answer 26…**

2

  1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Some of each, depending on the gift and how hard it is to wrap. Sometimes I do fun little odd wrappers - like last year I gave most of the women on my list a handbeaded necklace inside a colorful Chinese take-out container. Sometimes I use scarves, intending the recipient to keep the scarf as well, but for some reason that makes people uncomfortable, and they freak out trying to give me the scarf back. :confused:

  2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial. I’m horridly allergic to pines. Even the residual sap on my family heirloom ornaments, which haven’t seen a real tree in over 20 years, still makes me break out in hives.

  3. When do you put up the tree? Umm…soon? Yeah, sure, maybe this weekend, honey. (I hate putting up decorations.)

  4. When do you take the tree down? No, honey, the Groundhog comes out of his hole and sees the shadow of the Christmas tree, didn’t you know? (I hate taking down decorations.)

  5. Do you like eggnog? **Yes, lots! **

  6. Favorite gift received as a child? Ever? Gosh, I don’t know. The kitten was pretty awesome.

  7. Hardest person to buy for? My grandmother. Woman had everything she ever wanted 30 years ago. Luckily, she’s a good sport about bad gifts.

  8. Easiest person to buy for? My daughter. Her wish list is two miles long at this point. Even if I get her an empty box full of packing peanuts, she’ll be delighted.

  9. Do you have a nativity scene? Nope. Waiting for the garden gnome nativity set to come out.

  10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Generally no. I tried once, and then got all guilt ridden the next year 'cause I couldn’t find my list and I was afraid I’d inadvertently cut someone off and cause drama, and it just wasn’t worth the angst to continue..

  11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Half a used lipstick. Wasn’t even my color.

  12. Favorite Christmas Movie? The Night They Saved Christmas. Shut up.

  13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? When I see something “perfect”. Mostly I make gifts, though. I started them early this year - got 4 necklaces done this weekend.

  14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Every year. My mom’s a teacher and gets lots of candles, bath sets and chocolate she doesn’t want. Those get recycled, but not willy-nilly; I really do think about who would actually like it, and those are some of the best received crappy gifts ever.

  15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? All of it, really. sigh.

  16. Lights on the tree? ** Of course! I prefer multi-colored, but our tree has all white ones.**

  17. Favorite Christmas song? Aw geez…To hear or to sing? To hear, Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s holiday mash-ups. To sing, O Holy Night.

  18. Travel at Christmas or stay at home?** I’d prefer to stay home, but we always travel.**

  19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer’s? Yes, but I have to sing them to do it: You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen. Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen…but do you recall, the most famous reindeer of all? Rudolph! And, of course, Olive.

  20. Angel on the tree top or a star? **We have several options; the star is used most often **

  21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? One Christmas Eve, the rest Christmas morning.

  22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? **Shopping…and that damned Grandma got runover by a reindeer song. [I’ll steal that - WN] **

  23. What theme or color are you using? Um, theme? That’d be millennial perpetual starving students, Bob.

  24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Roast beast.

  25. What do you want for Christmas this year? ** Cash would be good. Or kitchen stuff or beading supplies.**

  26. Who is most likely to respond to this? What Exit? :smiley:

  27. Who is least likely to respond to this? ** Der Trihs :D**

3

  1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper. Usually foil-types, bright and shiny, maybe solid, maybe stripes, maybe patterns. My sisters all say you can tell which presents are from me, just by the way they’re wrapped. I love to wrap stuff and make it pretty.

  2. Real tree or Artificial? A real tree - only get one every ten years or so, but it’s real if I get one.

  3. When do you put up the tree? Last weekend before the solstice.

  4. When do you take the tree down? January 1st.

  5. Do you like eggnog? Yes, but I get the lower-fat ‘holiday nog’ and limit myself to 1 quart a year. Sigh.

  6. Favorite gift received as a child? My Lionel train. Thanks, Mom and Dad!!

  7. Hardest person to buy for? I just have a hard time picking gifts.

  8. Easiest person to buy for? Little boys: I have a real talent for picking toys they’d like and their mothers would like to slap me for bringing into their lives.

  9. Do you have a nativity scene? Nope

  10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail or don’t bother…it’s so they have pretty cards to hang on the door or mantel or wherever…

  11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Probably some lousy sweater, when I was a kid…but nothing memorable. Except the time my sister was going to give me a firetruck for Christmas, but she let it slip and my parents made her take it back because it wasn’t a surprise anymore and I DIDN’T GET MY FIRETRUCK.

  12. Favorite Christmas Movie? A Christmas Story. I watch it every year. “fraa-gee-lay”

  13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? any day now

  14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Yes

  15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? My brother-in-law’s Christmas breakfast heart-attack special. Oh, baby…

  16. Lights on the tree? Absolutely. Sometimes I’d put multiple complete sets on, so I could light it up multi-colored, or white or blue or green: it was blazing if you turned them all on at once.

  17. Favorite Christmas song? Silver Bells

  18. Travel at Christmas or stay at home? Stay home…well, I drive up to my sister’s house that morning; I live alone, so that’s what I consider staying home for Christmas.

  19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer’s? Probably. How much time do I have?

  20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Neither. A ball and spike style ornament.

  21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? morning

  22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? cold weather

  23. What theme or color are you using? Don’t give it any thought.

  24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? we nosh all day…oh yeah!

  25. What do you want for Christmas this year? Christmas breakfast, noshing, lots of laughing

  26. Who is most likely to respond to this? buh?

  27. Who is least likely to respond to this? duh?

4

  1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?
    Both. It depends on the gift and presentation you’re after. I sometimes make up artsy gift bags complete with fake snow and battery-powered lights built-in to the bag (with a small protruding switch at the bottom).

  2. Real tree or Artificial?
    Neither. The cats do not discriminate, they will shred either with equal enthusiasm, and I don’t have enough room in the apartment for a fence.

  3. When do you put up the tree?
    Were I doing so, early November – but this is Canada, our official start of Christmas season is right after Halloween, because we have no holidays between then and Christmas.

  4. When do you take the tree down?
    Again, were I doing so, probably mid-late January. (I like Christmas, okay?)

  5. Do you like eggnog?
    Love it. Straight, though. No rum.

  6. Favorite gift received as a child?
    An Atari 2600. It kept me out of the arcades, and therefore, out of trouble. But more importantly I could play video games without leaving the house.

  7. Hardest person to buy for?
    My wife as well.

  8. Easiest person to buy for?
    ME! But other than that – uh … dunno. Depends on the person and what we’ve gotten them already in years past.

  9. Do you have a nativity scene?
    Nope. I love Christmas but don’t subscribe to the religious aspect of it. I enjoy the broader sense of Christmas being about friends, family, sharing, joy, good music and movies, etc.

  10. Mail or email Christmas cards?
    Bring with to whatever gathering we’re going to, or give to when they come over to our place. We rarely have to mail, and we might do E-Cards sometimes, but usually in addition to the paper variety..

  11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?
    Wool mittens. My grandmother laboured for years under the delusion that I both liked wool and wore mittens, when in fact I did neither. Not that I fault her for it, I just hate mittens.

  12. Favorite Christmas Movie?
    A Christmas Story. Close second: The original Miracle on 34th Street.

  13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?
    Ideally: The earlier the better. How it usually happens: Dec. 23rd and 24th.

  14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?
    Only in the sense that I’ve given used items a few times, mostly because I couldn’t afford new at the time.

  15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?
    Other than the actual dinner? Mincemeat pie or tarts..

  16. Lights on the tree?
    A Christmas tree without lights is like Santa without a beard.

  17. Favorite Christmas song?
    Anything as long as it isn’t modern commercialized crap. Which is most of the songs done after 1959.

  18. Travel at Christmas or stay at home?
    We usually do Christmas at a relative’s house, but mostly we stay home.

  19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer’s?
    Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, and of course, Rudolph.

  20. Angel on the tree top or a star?
    Either/or. The wife is very partial to Angels though, but I’ll do whatever.

  21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?
    Morning. (Well, afternoon these days because we usually have a Christmas luncheon at a relative’s place first, and then do the gifts, but as a child it was always bright and early Christmas morn.)

  22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year?
    Alvin and the bloody Chipmunks, crappy modern Christmas carols, and crappy modern cartoon specials, especially the CGI ones. Yeah, I’m old fashioned and I like my Christmas specials in stop-motion, dammit.

  23. What theme or color are you using?
    I don’t do themes, but I do try to incorporate all of the traditional Christmas colours – red, blue, green, silver/white, and gold/yellow. Sometimes purple.

  24. Favorite for Christmas dinner?
    TURKEY!

  25. What do you want for Christmas this year?
    Just to get my current project shipped off to the developer so we can finally get it done and on the market. The money will follow. :slight_smile:

  26. Who is most likely to respond to this?
    People who do not say “Bah” or “Humbug” in response to anything Christmas-related.

  27. Who is least likely to respond to this?
    People who say “Bah” or “Humbug” in response to anything Christmas-related.

5

  1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Gift bags, esp in solid colors so you can reuse them.

  2. Real tree or Artificial? Real, real, real.

  3. When do you put up the tree? Depends. Usually around the 12th of December.

  4. When do you take the tree down? Usually January 2nd.

  5. Do you like eggnog? NO

  6. Favorite gift received as a child? Big ‘ol honkin’ Tinker Toys set!

  7. Hardest person to buy for? My hubby. What do you get the geek that has everything?

  8. Easiest person to buy for? My BiL, who gets gift certificates from a local department store that carries Carhartt clothing and the boots he wears to work.

  9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, a tiny one that used to go just inside the tree branches, but haven’t put it up for years.

  10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mailed

  11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Honestly can’t remember.

  12. Favorite Christmas Movie? A Christmas Story

  13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? I do a bit of shopping all year long, but the big shopping is done at the end of Nov-early December. And I try to stay out of stores as much as I can. The Net is a lovely place!

  14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Yes

  15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Old fashioned, hand pulled ribbon candy

  16. Lights on the tree? Yep!

  17. Favorite Christmas song? I’ll Be Home For Christmas tied with Christmas At Ground Zero

  18. Travel at Christmas or stay at home? Stay home since my folks are gone and so are the Hubby’s.

  19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer’s? Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen and Rudolph!

  20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Angels usually,

  21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Xmas Eve

  22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Shopping

  23. What theme or color are you using? Don’t really have one, but we’ve slowly been moving towards a Western/equestrian themed tree.

  24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Dessert!

  25. What do you want for Christmas this year? A pony!

  26. Who is most likely to respond to this? I dunno.

  27. Who is least likely to respond to this? …refer to answer 26…