The Christmas (holiday) meme
I have a cold so my brain won't fic. Bah. So I give you SkyblueRae's holiday meme instead ...
1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Um, its hot here. We're expecting 37 deg C next week, and its only November. So Christmas drinkies are more a choice of wine, champagne, beer or port.
2. Presents wrapped or just sitting under the tree? Wrapped, of course. Tearing off the paper is almost more fun than actually admiring the gift. And if you're a toddler, it's MORE fun.
3. Coloured or white lights on the tree/house? I like coloured on the tree. No lights on the house.
4. Mistletoe? No. We like an Aussie-flavoured Christmas. And have no need for random kissing!
5. When do you hang your decorations? Um, sometimes never? I'm pretty slack at Christmas, must confess. But will make an effort this year as we have people coming. We are away from the 1st through the 15th of December, though, so it will probably be the week after that ...
6. Favourite holiday dish: my Mum's Christmas cake. We don't have many Christmas traditions, but my mum has made our Christmas cake every year I can remember. She even posted one to me in the UK one year! Its drenched in sherry and full of fruit and just DIVINE.
7. Favourite holiday memory as a child: The year I was about 12, I had a new kitten, who spent the whole Christmas period clawing her way up the tree in order to pounce on the angel. That poor angel didn't survive Christmas (but the cat lived for 18 years!) Another Christmas memory, more Mum's than mine, is 1974 in Darwin. That's the year "Santa never made it into Darwin." A very severe cyclone hit the town on Christmas Eve night, and when we woke up in the morning (us kids slept through it!) there was a boat in the front yard and a caravan in the back yard - neither ours, and owners never found. We had just moved into our brand new house a few days prior, and sustained only minimal damage - most of the city, however, was levelled. But I was 3, and what do I remember? Mum and Dad had hidden my first bike in their bedroom, and I was very impressed with it. And when people who had lost their houses came to stay with us, I got to show off my brand new bike! (And share my Christmas presents with them, but I didn't know that til my Mum told me that, years later!)
8. The truth about Santa. Um. Can't remember! I definitely believed in him as a small child, but by about age 10 was mounting raids on my parents cupboards in search of the Xmas presents, so must have been disillusioned somewhere along the way.
9. Open a gift on Christmas Eve? I think we used to sometimes, but it wasn't a big tradition with us.
10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree - haven't done it in so long, I'm not sure! Sparkly lights, I remember. Tinsel. This year I'vve bought a few glass ornaments from Oxfam - couldn't resist.
11. Snow? Not likely!!! Unless it comes out of a can! We pray for the temp to stay under 30 degrees - otherwise its impossible to eat a hot Xmas lunch.
12. Can you ice skate? Actually, yes. I learnt in London. But opportunity would be a fine thing ..
13. Favourite gift ever? my parents gave me a nugget they found on their claim last year - perfectly natural unworked river gold, that just happens to be vaguely heart shaped. As a child, the year I got my first saddle (for a horse!) was pretty special.
14. Most important thing about the holidays. Family. We are so farflung it really takes an effort to get together, so it is really, really special.
15. Favourite holiday dessert - gotta got with the traditional plum pudding and brandy custard. Yum.
16. Favourite holiday tradition - yummy Christmas breakfast. Prawns. Ham. Pawpaw. Mangoes. Champagne and orange juice. We often eat more at breakfast than at Christmas lunch!
17. On top of the tree - whatever I can find, since I haven't had a tree in recent years!
18. Giving or Receiving. Giving, especially to kids.
19. Favourite Christmas Song? Silent Night.
20. Candy Canes? Um, what's the point? More sugar? No.
21. Too commercialized? Hell, yes. Its interesting when you have a family that believes in small, thoughtful gifts (mine) meeting a family that doesn't care what's in the box as long as it has a hefty pricetag (his). Luckily, Nick was spared this attitude, and we make it clear to everyone that we can't afford to spend a lot on Christmas presents, and would prefer people spend the money on getting here than on presents. And while I'm whinging, it would be nice if people didn't look at us as if we had two heads when Mum and I announce we're taking the girls to mass on Christmas morning ... "church? whatever for?"
1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Um, its hot here. We're expecting 37 deg C next week, and its only November. So Christmas drinkies are more a choice of wine, champagne, beer or port.
2. Presents wrapped or just sitting under the tree? Wrapped, of course. Tearing off the paper is almost more fun than actually admiring the gift. And if you're a toddler, it's MORE fun.
3. Coloured or white lights on the tree/house? I like coloured on the tree. No lights on the house.
4. Mistletoe? No. We like an Aussie-flavoured Christmas. And have no need for random kissing!
5. When do you hang your decorations? Um, sometimes never? I'm pretty slack at Christmas, must confess. But will make an effort this year as we have people coming. We are away from the 1st through the 15th of December, though, so it will probably be the week after that ...
6. Favourite holiday dish: my Mum's Christmas cake. We don't have many Christmas traditions, but my mum has made our Christmas cake every year I can remember. She even posted one to me in the UK one year! Its drenched in sherry and full of fruit and just DIVINE.
7. Favourite holiday memory as a child: The year I was about 12, I had a new kitten, who spent the whole Christmas period clawing her way up the tree in order to pounce on the angel. That poor angel didn't survive Christmas (but the cat lived for 18 years!) Another Christmas memory, more Mum's than mine, is 1974 in Darwin. That's the year "Santa never made it into Darwin." A very severe cyclone hit the town on Christmas Eve night, and when we woke up in the morning (us kids slept through it!) there was a boat in the front yard and a caravan in the back yard - neither ours, and owners never found. We had just moved into our brand new house a few days prior, and sustained only minimal damage - most of the city, however, was levelled. But I was 3, and what do I remember? Mum and Dad had hidden my first bike in their bedroom, and I was very impressed with it. And when people who had lost their houses came to stay with us, I got to show off my brand new bike! (And share my Christmas presents with them, but I didn't know that til my Mum told me that, years later!)
8. The truth about Santa. Um. Can't remember! I definitely believed in him as a small child, but by about age 10 was mounting raids on my parents cupboards in search of the Xmas presents, so must have been disillusioned somewhere along the way.
9. Open a gift on Christmas Eve? I think we used to sometimes, but it wasn't a big tradition with us.
10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree - haven't done it in so long, I'm not sure! Sparkly lights, I remember. Tinsel. This year I'vve bought a few glass ornaments from Oxfam - couldn't resist.
11. Snow? Not likely!!! Unless it comes out of a can! We pray for the temp to stay under 30 degrees - otherwise its impossible to eat a hot Xmas lunch.
12. Can you ice skate? Actually, yes. I learnt in London. But opportunity would be a fine thing ..
13. Favourite gift ever? my parents gave me a nugget they found on their claim last year - perfectly natural unworked river gold, that just happens to be vaguely heart shaped. As a child, the year I got my first saddle (for a horse!) was pretty special.
14. Most important thing about the holidays. Family. We are so farflung it really takes an effort to get together, so it is really, really special.
15. Favourite holiday dessert - gotta got with the traditional plum pudding and brandy custard. Yum.
16. Favourite holiday tradition - yummy Christmas breakfast. Prawns. Ham. Pawpaw. Mangoes. Champagne and orange juice. We often eat more at breakfast than at Christmas lunch!
17. On top of the tree - whatever I can find, since I haven't had a tree in recent years!
18. Giving or Receiving. Giving, especially to kids.
19. Favourite Christmas Song? Silent Night.
20. Candy Canes? Um, what's the point? More sugar? No.
21. Too commercialized? Hell, yes. Its interesting when you have a family that believes in small, thoughtful gifts (mine) meeting a family that doesn't care what's in the box as long as it has a hefty pricetag (his). Luckily, Nick was spared this attitude, and we make it clear to everyone that we can't afford to spend a lot on Christmas presents, and would prefer people spend the money on getting here than on presents. And while I'm whinging, it would be nice if people didn't look at us as if we had two heads when Mum and I announce we're taking the girls to mass on Christmas morning ... "church? whatever for?"