Little House by the Railway Line

Christmas Meme

I saw this here and thought I'd like to fill it in, as I love Christmas traditions and enjoy reading about other people's.

1.) Wrapping paper or gift bags? Both.  We have lots of bags that we received wedding presents in, and they're reusable.  And we reuse wrapping paper till it's torn up all over and you can't see the picture any more.  I really like the idea of using newspaper though, so maybe this year I'll try that.

2.) Real tree or artificial? We have a small artificial one in the loft that fits on the coffee table.

3.) When do you put up the tree? Late December.  If we have a Christmas do it would go up in time for that, but we're not this year (because we're too busy going to other people's and there are no weekends left), so it'll probably go up the weekend before Christmas.

4.) When do you take the tree down? Official date is January 6th.  I think we may have left it up a little longer than that last year though.

5.) Do you like eggnog? No.

6.) Favorite gift recieved as a child?  Probably the very large teddy bear I got when I was about 10.  I snuggled up next to him every night till I got married (in fact, I got him back out again when my husband was away in the summer).

7.) Hardest person to buy for?   My father.  He loathes Christmas, doesn't like getting presents, and hates having useless junk.  He also tends to buy anything he wants for himself, as soon as he thinks of it, so it's impossible to buy him something he wants (unless I happened to have a few hundred thousand pounds spare and could buy him more machinery for building cars....).

8.) Easiest person to buy for? My husband, I think.  He's very unfussy and easy to please.

9.) Do you have a nativity scene? No, but I kind of think I might like one, only I'm not sure where I'd put it. 

10.) Mail or e-mail christmas cards? We post them.

11.) Worst christmas gift you ever recieved? I have no idea.  Either there never was one, or it was so awful I've blocked it from my memory.

12.) Favorite christmas movie? We don't really watch television, or films. I think I have an old video of It's A Wonderful Life in a box in the loft, so maybe that would be it

13.) When do you start shopping for christmas? I bought the Christmas cards in August / September this year.

14.) Have you ever recycled a christmas present? I don't think so.  I've given plenty away to charity shops though.

15.) Favorite thing to eat at christmas? Roast potatoes and parsnips and pigs in blankets and stuffing. 

16.) Lights on the tree? Yes.

17.) Favorite christmas song? It Came Upon the Midnight Clear

18.) Travel at christmas or stay home? I prefer to stay home.  Actually, I always prefer to stay home, as I don't like travelling at the best of times.  This year, we're going to have Christmas Day just the two of us (and obviously all the people we see in the morning at church), and will probably visit my parents on Boxing Day.

19.) Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? No!

20.) Angel on top of tree or star? I think we put one end of the string of lights up there.  I have a Christmas Tree Angel that I knitted years ago, but it's a bit too big and heavy for our tiny tree.

21.) Open presents christmas eve or morning? Christmas morning - although I think it may have been afternoon last year, as it was after church while the dinner was cooking.

22.) Most annoying thing about this time of year? All those ghastly shops that open up in empty shop-buildings trying to sell cheap red and gold tatty decorations, and the crazy mania for buying endless stuff that seems to possess people.

23.) Favorite thing about this time of year? Extra church services, time off work to spend at home, and the excuse to bake (and eat) lots of yummy biscuits.

24.) Favorite ornament theme or color? Red is my favourite colour at any time of the year, so my favourite colour would be red.  I'm not really sure what an ornament theme is though, but I do rather like all the pictures of robins sitting on fences in the snow that get wheeled at at Christmas-time.

25.) Favorite food for christmas dinner? Roast potatoes and parsnips and pigs in blankets and stuffing.  Served with roast chicken or turkey, of course.

26.) Favorite christmas tradition? Walking round the streets after dark with my Mum and looking at all the Christmas lights on other people's houses, and seeing their trees standing in the front windows.

27.) What do you want for christmas this year? A rest!  Some time off work with no crazy agenda to spend with my husband.

28.) Who is most likely to respond to this? I have no idea...