Here’s a set of Christmas questions going around the blogosphere. Feel free to answer them on your own blogs, or perhaps just read and enjoy our answers.
Jack’s Answers
1. Eggnog or hot chocolate?
I’m inclined to say neither, but if I have to choose one it would be hot chocolate. I’m not a big fan of eggnog – comedian Dave Attell once speculated that it’s actually “elf cum” – though I did recently have some imported Rompope, which is a Mexican spin on eggnog, and I quite enjoyed it with rum. All that said, my preferred wintertime drink is hot apple cider.
2.Does Santa wrap presents or just set the under the tree?
Santa prefers to have his mother wrap gifts for his wife, and his wife wrap gifts for his mother.
3.Colored lights on the tree/house or white?
I prefer colored, though we haven’t put up any outside lights this year because we live in a condo. But we’ve definitely got colored lights on the tree.
4. Do you hang mistletoe?
Yes. From my belt buckle.
5.When do you put your decorations up?
We try to get our house decorated on Thanksgiving weekend. There’s usually about a month between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Though our Christmas decorations aren’t especially elaborate, it’s still a lot of work. Better to get them up early and enjoy them longer than wait a few weeks and have less time with them.
6. What is your favorite holiday dish excluding dessert)?
I’m going to go with ham. I’m an unabashed fan of all things pig, and as my mom always prepared a ham for Christmas dinner, I’ve come to associate a roasted ham with Christmas, especially if it’s covered with pineapple rings and maraschino cherries.
7. Favorite holiday memory as a child?
The urgency with which I needed to get to sleep before Santa arrived, and the anxiety and fear that if I was still awake he might not stop. Think about it: No matter how nice you were all year long, if the excitement of Christmas morning prevented you from falling asleep before his sleigh reached your town he’d just bypass your chimney. Now that I think of it, this isn’t a favorite childhood memory. This is actually kind of fucked up.
8.When and how did you learn the truth about santa?
Truth? What truth might that be? I’m pretty sure the truth about Santa is that he’s a jolly old man in a red suit who makes and delivers toys to all the good boys and girls in the world, or at least the ones who celebrate Christmas. Is there some hidden truth I should know about? Is he a member of the Illuminati?
9.Do you open gifts on Christmas Eve?
No. My family has never opened Christmas presents on Christmas Eve. To me it’s something of a badge of honor to wait until Christmas morning. Suffering through church, and family time, and restlessness before finally falling asleep? That’s like a trio of hurdles I’m only happy to jump.
10.What kind of cookies does Santa get set out for him?
Whatever’s on hand, I would imagine. Freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies seem likely, but as this is only our daughter’s third Christmas and she’s thusfar unaware of the milk-and-cookies tradition, we’ve yet to actually do it. I imagine this year will be the first.
11.Snow! Love it or dread it?
I love snow, but only because I’ve never had to shovel it, drive in it, or trudge twenty miles to school in it (all uphill, of course).
12. Can you ice skate?
Yes I can! Or at least, I could when I was nineteen, which was the last time I tried. A local shopping mall had an ice skating rink where I had cause to attend the occasional birthday party circa junior high. Shortly after my last trip to the skating rink the mall – or what was left of it at the time – was demolished to make room for a large outdoor shopping center. Actually, there’s still an ice skating rink there, possibly in the same location as the previous incarnation. But I’ve never been.
13.Do you remember your favorite gift?
Jill. She wasn’t a Christmas gift, but she’s still the greatest present I’ve ever received.
14. What’s the most important thing about the holidays for you?
Spending time with my loved ones, and having Jill home for a couple weeks.
15. What is your favorite holiday dessert?
Beats me. Figgy pudding? I’m not much of a dessert-eater.
16.What is your favorite holiday tradition?
Possibly eating cinnamon rolls for breakfast on Christmas morning while opening presents. However, since two previous questions have concerned food, I will instead go with spending Christmas Eve at my paternal grandmother’s, hanging out with my relatives, exchanging gifts with certain of my them, i.e. those we wouldn’t be seeing on Christmas Day. Since this particular tradition has been defunct for probably fifteen years or more, I might be inclined to go with wrapping presents with Jill after our daughter has gone to bed. Or, in keeping with the theme of this blog, how about our annual “Jill in front of the Christmas tree” photo. We’ve done one each year since 2010.
17.What tops your tree?
The same star that’s been on top of my tree since I was a child. Whereas my father used to lift me up to put it on top, I now lift our daughter to do the same.
18.What do you prefer… giving or receiving?
I’m far from selfless, but it’s very safe to say that I prefer to give than receive. I’m not trying to boast or otherwise build myself up, but I pride myself on my generosity. I love doing things for people who are likely to appreciate my gestures, whether the gesture in question is cooking, giving a gift, or spending time with them. On another level, this is also true of my sexual self. I love being pleasured, but I am often so preoccupied with giving pleasure that receiving it takes a back seat.
19.What is your favorite christmas carol?
I’m under the impression that a Christmas carol is a traditional song usually sung by individuals who travel from house to house (i.e. Christmas caroling), whereas a Christmas song is a more popular song generally sung by professional performers. With that in mind, I’m going to deviate from the standard list of carols and go with The Christmas Song, sometimes referred to as Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire. Few things (other than ham) make me think of Christmas like Nat “King” Cole’s version of this song. Admittedly, however, I am a sucker for Christmas music and can readily name a dozen other songs that I’d gladly call my favorite.
20.Candy canes…yum or yuck?
I wouldn’t exactly say yuck, but they’re hardly my favorite holiday treat. I’ve never been such a fan of peppermint that I want to suck on a long, sticky piece of peppermint-flavored sugar. But Jill seems to enjoy them, as seen in yesterday’s Sinful Sunday.
21.Have you ever recycled a christmas present?
Probably. Admittedly, nothing comes to mind.
22.Favorite christmas movie?
I remember having trouble choosing a favorite Christmas movie when I was asked this question last year. There are quite a few Christmas movies I really enjoy. I think I’ll go with The Star Wars Holiday Special, simply because it would probably piss off George Lucas.
23.Do you have a nativity scene?
I’m sure I’ve got one somewhere, though Jill is more the fan of nativity scenes. She’s got several, made of all manner of materials, from foam and felt to porcelain. This year, they’re all in storage.
24.What is the most annoying thing about this time of year?
I was tempted to say something superficial such as traffic or long lines, but without a doubt the most annoying aspect of the holiday season is the concept of a “war on Christmas”, as it has been dubbed by Bill O’Reilly and his Fox News pals. The expression “Happy Holidays” isn’t a threat to Christmas. It’s a show of respect for the millions of individuals who celebrate other holidays. There’s no reason to take offense at a pleasant greeting of any kind.
Jill’s Answers
1. Eggnog or hot chocolate?
That’s such a tough question for me to answer! I love hot chocolate, but eggnog has always been an essential part of Christmas for me. I might go with hot chocolate just because I can drink it all year long, or at least when it’s cold. Add a little peppermint to it and it’s even better.
2.Does Santa wrap presents or just set the under the tree?
Santa always wraps presents. A big part of the fun of Christmas is unwrapping each package and seeing what’s inside. When I was little, Santa would always leave the one present for me and each of my siblings under the tree unwrapped. Everything from my parents was wrapped. But because I love unwrapping presents so much, my daughter’s gifts will always be wrapped, whether from Santa or from us.
3.Colored lights on the tree/house or white?
We currently have colored lights on our tree. I prefer them to white lights. White is nice, just not my favorite. I prefer the lights to stay on, although I don’t mind if they slowly change from one color to another, like I’ve seen some lights do. But no flashing. I don’t want to have a siezure.
4. Do you hang mistletoe?
No, we don’t. I just kiss whoever the hell I want, whenever I want. I don’t need an excuse. If you’re in my house, you’re probably getting kissed.
5.When do you put your decorations up?
Lately we do it right after Thanksgiving, unless we happen to be out of town that weekend. We enjoy all of the sights, sounds, and smells related to Christmas, so we decorate as early as we can. But never before Thanksgiving.
6. What is your favorite holiday dish excluding dessert)?
On Christmas Eve, my extended family gets together and my parents make pot after pot of ravioli. We’ve always done this, and because of it ravioli is a very Christmasy dish to me. Also, you can’t go wrong with mashed potatoes, though I don’t associate them with Christmas. I’ll eat mashed potatoes anytime.
7. Favorite holiday memory as a child?
Having to wait upstairs with my siblings until my Dad checked the living room to see if Santa Claus had come. He always made a big production out of it, and it would take about ten minutes as he searched the house for some sign. I wonder why he didn’t go right for the tree and look for newly-delivered presents. I guess he just wanted to make us wait. Finally he would let us know that Santa had arrived, and my brothers and sisters and I got to go downstairs youngest to oldest.
8.When and how did you learn the truth about santa?
In the spirit of Christmas and not ruining my own illusion, I put it off as long as I could. But once I had a child I had to make sure that I didn’t drop the ball. Being the second oldest sibling, I got to experience the magic through my younger siblings even once I was far too old to believe in Santa. As a result I’ve always been inclined to believe.
9.Do you open gifts on Christmas Eve?
No. My family has always opened gifts on Christmas morning. That goes for my extended family, and my immediate family.
10.What kind of cookies does Santa get set out for him?
Definitely chocolate chip cookies.
11.Snow! Love it or dread it?
I absolutely love snow, as long as I don’t have to drive in it. I love to play in it, make snow angels or snowmen, go sleedding, or just watch it fall while drinking hot chocolate. Obviously this is because I don’t have to live with snow on a regular basis. It never snows here, and maybe that’s why I find it so magical. The best Christmases I had as a child were always the ones my family spent in the snow. I’m not very good at skiing though.
12. Can you ice skate?
Yes. Not backwards. Only forwards.
13.Do you remember your favorite gift?
The year before I went away to college I asked my parents for a teddy bear. It was something I could take with me that would remind me of home and family. It was very comforting.
14. What’s the most important thing about the holidays for you?
Being with family.
15. What is your favorite holiday dessert?
Chocolate chip cookies.
16.What is your favorite holiday tradition?
Every other year, my entire family used to take a vacation, often someplace snowy. I will always treasure the memories of those trips.
17.What tops your tree?
A star. Before I met Jack it was an angel. But my parents stole it, and now it adorns their own tree. It’s just as well. I love Jack’s angel.
18.What do you prefer… giving or receiving?
I’m definitely a giver. I like to see people’s joy. And make them cum.
19.What is your favorite christmas carol?
My all-time favorite Christmas song is I’ll Be Home For Christmas. My favorite Christmas song to sing is Jingle Bells. I love its tempo, and the excitement and cheer I feel when I sing it.
20.Candy canes…yum or yuck?
Definitely yum! Have you seen our Sinful Sunday post?
21.Have you ever recycled a christmas present?
Yes. As a teacher I frequently get gifts from my students that I can’t use. More often I get a gift that I can easily re-gift to someone I need to buy for. This is much easier than going to a store less than a week before Christmas.
22.Favorite christmas movie?
It’s a Wonderful Life.
23.Do you have a nativity scene?
I have around four nativity scenes, but because of our small living space none of them made it out of storage this year. We had no available surfaces on which to display them.
24.What is the most annoying thing about this time of year?
The crowds!
If you’re interested in reading our answers to the questions that circulated last year, you may do so here.
It’s my opinion that everyone should have snow for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, no matter where they live.
Of course, having grown up with and learning to drive in snow I can say that with the smugness of one who knows how to maneuver in it!
Very witty, the both of you.
hot chocolate for me definitely. love peppermint sticks. Love both of ya’lls answers.. Ravioli sounds really good right now..