Christmas meme
Dec. 13th, 2011 12:26 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lyorn(gacked from ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
trobadora):
1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
Both! I very rarely get Egg Nogg, so should I have to chose, that's what I'll take. I am still searching for the perfect hot chocolate since my favourite Café in Lüneburg has closed...
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
Presents are brought by Father Christmas, not by Saint Nicholas. Saint Nicolas comes in the night to Dec 6th and leaves sweets, not presents (well, maybe one small present). Father Christmas knocks at the door, carries a big sack, grumbles a lot, and finally decides that he's pleased with the house's children and gives them presents. Which are wrapped.
3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
If one must have them, a warm yellowish-to-slightly-orange white, the colour of candleflame. Or the shiny ice-blue white of moonlight on snow, but that suits only trees. Houses should not look that cold.
All these blinking colours have me humming, "Auf der Reeperbahn nachts um halb eins..."
4. Do you hang mistletoe?
No. I'm not pagan.
5. When do you put your decorations up?
I don't. The cats will eat them. At home, we put up the decorations on Saturday before first Sunday in Advent, and put up the tree on the 24th noonish.
6. What is your favorite holiday dish?
Herring and potatoes.
7. Favorite holiday memory as a child?
Playing one of the three leads in a christmas comedy when I was eight. I liked the comedy, it was truly funny, I liked play-acting, and we had seven very good performances.
Taking part in the Christmas sale for Charity in our town with the rest of the youth group.
Baking Braune Kuchen with a friend from school in the large, comfy kitchen on her parent's farm.
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
I do not think I ever believed in anything like that. When I was four, the grandmother of the boy next door played Father Christmas for the children in the house, and her grandson, three years old back then, freaked out like whoa, screaming as if he was skewerd, attempting to hide behind the sofa and getting stuck, so the (very big) sofa had to be moved to free him. I knew even back then that whoever that dressed-up person was (I always had bad eyes and no memory for faces), no way were they any supernatural entity.
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
To quotetrobadora: As everyone knows, Christmas Eve is when you receive and open all your presents. *g* I always pitied the kids in books from England, who had to open their presents in the cold light (and air) of morning, when, one could only imagine, magic was scarce and the mood was touchy, because who likes mornings?
10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?
I do not have a christmas tree as the cats would have far too much fun with it.
At home, back when we had a tree (I vetoed it when I was 13) we decorated with stars, bells, baubles and chains made from metallic paper, and white or warm-white candles. I always dreamed of a very stylish tree with straw stars, gilded nuts and red candles, but I never got around to make the straw stars. Those are more effort than they seem.
11. Snow! Love it or Dread it?
Love it, unless I have to drive 600 km in it.
12. Can you ice skate?
Yes, reasonably well, though I am a little out of practise. I was quite good at it as a kid, owing to a series of extremely cold winters which made the river meadows into kilometre-long skating rings where everyone who did not mind the cold and the loneliness could practise without navigating around a hundred other skaters.
13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
The guitar, and two years later the hifi system. I still have (and use) them both.
14. What's the most important thing about the holidays for you?
Not having to go to work. Or, if I *do* have to go to work, being there on my own and getting stuff done.
15. What is your favorite holiday dessert?
My favourite dessert ever, regardless of season, is traditional Mousse au Chocolate. The really complicated one with semi-raw egg yolks.
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
I don't know. I lost touch, kind of. I like buying presents, and I like baking cookies. Back in the days, my favorite moment was to come down on Christmas Eve to the tree, the presents, and Bach's Weihnachtsoratorium playing. But one year my stepfather vetoed Bach because he wanted to listen to the seamen's christmas show on the radio, and it has never been the same since.
17. What tops your tree?
No tree, no top. Back home, when we had a tree, it was an angel made from metallic paper.
18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving?
Giving. I don't get many presents anyway, except, tea and chocolate from my friends, I give myself presents.
19. Candy Canes?
Funfair food. I always brought one when we were going to the Dom in Hamburg in October. A red one.
20. Favorite Christmas show?
We hates it, my precious. Christmas TV is a heap of disgusting fakeness that has the same effect on the holiday spirit that a needle has on a balloon, and is not acceptable even as a parody for its lack of wit.
21. Saddest Christmas song?
They are all sad, because we have been waiting for peace on earth for two thousand years, and all we got instead was religion.
22. What is your favourite Christmas song?
The opening choir of Bach's Weihnachtsoratorium. Those kettle drums are to die for.
23. Favorite Christmas movie?
The Long Kiss Goodnight.
24. How long do you leave up Christmas decorations?
If I had any, they would come down on Epiphany.
25. What kind of cookies do you leave for Santa?
Father Christmas gets a stiff drink before he leaves again. It's cold out there...
trobadora):1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
Both! I very rarely get Egg Nogg, so should I have to chose, that's what I'll take. I am still searching for the perfect hot chocolate since my favourite Café in Lüneburg has closed...
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
Presents are brought by Father Christmas, not by Saint Nicholas. Saint Nicolas comes in the night to Dec 6th and leaves sweets, not presents (well, maybe one small present). Father Christmas knocks at the door, carries a big sack, grumbles a lot, and finally decides that he's pleased with the house's children and gives them presents. Which are wrapped.
3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
If one must have them, a warm yellowish-to-slightly-orange white, the colour of candleflame. Or the shiny ice-blue white of moonlight on snow, but that suits only trees. Houses should not look that cold.
All these blinking colours have me humming, "Auf der Reeperbahn nachts um halb eins..."
4. Do you hang mistletoe?
No. I'm not pagan.
5. When do you put your decorations up?
I don't. The cats will eat them. At home, we put up the decorations on Saturday before first Sunday in Advent, and put up the tree on the 24th noonish.
6. What is your favorite holiday dish?
Herring and potatoes.
7. Favorite holiday memory as a child?
Playing one of the three leads in a christmas comedy when I was eight. I liked the comedy, it was truly funny, I liked play-acting, and we had seven very good performances.
Taking part in the Christmas sale for Charity in our town with the rest of the youth group.
Baking Braune Kuchen with a friend from school in the large, comfy kitchen on her parent's farm.
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
I do not think I ever believed in anything like that. When I was four, the grandmother of the boy next door played Father Christmas for the children in the house, and her grandson, three years old back then, freaked out like whoa, screaming as if he was skewerd, attempting to hide behind the sofa and getting stuck, so the (very big) sofa had to be moved to free him. I knew even back then that whoever that dressed-up person was (I always had bad eyes and no memory for faces), no way were they any supernatural entity.
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
To quote
trobadora: As everyone knows, Christmas Eve is when you receive and open all your presents. *g* I always pitied the kids in books from England, who had to open their presents in the cold light (and air) of morning, when, one could only imagine, magic was scarce and the mood was touchy, because who likes mornings?10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?
I do not have a christmas tree as the cats would have far too much fun with it.
At home, back when we had a tree (I vetoed it when I was 13) we decorated with stars, bells, baubles and chains made from metallic paper, and white or warm-white candles. I always dreamed of a very stylish tree with straw stars, gilded nuts and red candles, but I never got around to make the straw stars. Those are more effort than they seem.
11. Snow! Love it or Dread it?
Love it, unless I have to drive 600 km in it.
12. Can you ice skate?
Yes, reasonably well, though I am a little out of practise. I was quite good at it as a kid, owing to a series of extremely cold winters which made the river meadows into kilometre-long skating rings where everyone who did not mind the cold and the loneliness could practise without navigating around a hundred other skaters.
13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
The guitar, and two years later the hifi system. I still have (and use) them both.
14. What's the most important thing about the holidays for you?
Not having to go to work. Or, if I *do* have to go to work, being there on my own and getting stuff done.
15. What is your favorite holiday dessert?
My favourite dessert ever, regardless of season, is traditional Mousse au Chocolate. The really complicated one with semi-raw egg yolks.
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
I don't know. I lost touch, kind of. I like buying presents, and I like baking cookies. Back in the days, my favorite moment was to come down on Christmas Eve to the tree, the presents, and Bach's Weihnachtsoratorium playing. But one year my stepfather vetoed Bach because he wanted to listen to the seamen's christmas show on the radio, and it has never been the same since.
17. What tops your tree?
No tree, no top. Back home, when we had a tree, it was an angel made from metallic paper.
18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving?
Giving. I don't get many presents anyway, except, tea and chocolate from my friends, I give myself presents.
19. Candy Canes?
Funfair food. I always brought one when we were going to the Dom in Hamburg in October. A red one.
20. Favorite Christmas show?
We hates it, my precious. Christmas TV is a heap of disgusting fakeness that has the same effect on the holiday spirit that a needle has on a balloon, and is not acceptable even as a parody for its lack of wit.
21. Saddest Christmas song?
They are all sad, because we have been waiting for peace on earth for two thousand years, and all we got instead was religion.
22. What is your favourite Christmas song?
The opening choir of Bach's Weihnachtsoratorium. Those kettle drums are to die for.
23. Favorite Christmas movie?
The Long Kiss Goodnight.
24. How long do you leave up Christmas decorations?
If I had any, they would come down on Epiphany.
25. What kind of cookies do you leave for Santa?
Father Christmas gets a stiff drink before he leaves again. It's cold out there...
(no subject)
Date: 2011-12-14 06:20 pm (UTC)Hahaha, so true. *g*
I always pitied the kids in books from England, who had to open their presents in the cold light (and air) of morning, when, one could only imagine, magic was scarce and the mood was touchy, because who likes mornings?
Oh dear, that hadn't even occurred to me! But yes, Christmas presents definitely belong in the evening! Mornings are made of evil, and no amount of presents can change that.