A Christmas Meme

I saw this over on The Preppy Wedding.

1. Egg nog or hot chocolate?
I have to go with Preppy Wedding on this one: Tall Starbucks Peppermint Hot Chocolate. Yum.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
Santa wraps everyone's except the ones from my little brother. For some reason, he never gets around to wrapping Troy's gifts for him.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
Both, but mostly colored. I like how it looks like candy.

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
I wouldn't know where to get mistletoe if my life depended on it. Anyhow, there's nobody to kiss. :( Seriously-I don't even KNOW anyone. I have GOT to get out more.

5. When do you put your decorations up?
Black Friday after Thanksgiving. The long weekend means I can do it with leisure, and besides, I head home to my parents' around the 20th, so I need to have as much time to enjoy it as possible before I go.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish:
Chicken paprikas. It's a Hungarian family deal.

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child?
We went to Michigan every year on Christmas Eve, and stayed through Christmas Day. Christmas Eve was a quiet, delicious, tradition-filled event of epic proportions at my dad's parents' house, with two aunts, and two cousins. Christmas Day was TONS of fun at mom's parents' place, with 3 pairs of aunts and uncles, a jillion cousins running wild everywhere, the inevitable friend of a cousin who didn't have a celebration to go to, and everybody singing all the time. We always got stuck in a snowstorm either on the way there or on the way home, and often had to stay over an extra day. I remember having to stop once at a hotel overnight on the way home in a blizzard. Those were the days.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
I think I was born knowing the truth. Mom tells me that I knew my grandpa was Santa on my second Christmas, at 27 months old.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
We open ALL our gifts on Christmas Eve. This stems from the years and years of traveling to my grandparents' houses after our own little celebration.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?
I have incredible colorful German blown-glass ornaments I've collected over the years since college. I used to play hooky once a semester and go to the local fancy-schmancy mall and window shop for the day, stopping at Godiva and Starbucks for treats, Saks 5th Ave to try on furs, and ending at Neiman Marcus to buy one little Christmas ornament. I have half a dozen of them, and they built the foundation for years of collecting fabulous baubles. I also have some great ones from my childhood. Mom cleaned out the collection several years ago, and my sis and brother and I got to pick what we wanted. Thanks, mom!

11. Snow: love it or hate it?
I love the snow, I hate the ice, sleet and freezing rain. Cleveland was mostly the latter. I wonder if Chicago is any better?

12. Can you ice skate?
I can stand up and move around, but I wouldn't technically call it skating.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
No. It's always been more about the traditions than the gifts. I'm sure if I thought hard enough, I could remember something.

14. What’s the most important thing about the holidays for you?
Being with my family.

15.What is your favorite holiday dessert?
A few years ago, my grandma asked me to make creme puffs. Now we do it every year on Christmas Eve to finish the day.

16. What tops your tree?
The MOST fabulous star. It totally matches my collection of ornaments. I'm a big proponent of the star-it's the most symbolic, I think.

17. Which do you prefer, giving or receiving?
Just being honest, it's a toss-up. I love especially gifting to the nieces and nephews, and to my mom.

18. What is your favorite Christmas song?
Gloria and Lux Venit from Michael W. Smith's Christmas album.

19. What is your favorite Christmas movie?
A Christmas Story.

20. What would be the best gift you could receive this year?
A great time with my family. Safe travels, and happy memories. And the iPod 30GB special U2 edition black with a red dial and the band's signatures engraved on the back. :)