Christmas Survey

1. Egg nog or hot chocolate?

Definitely hot chocolate - although soy nog is pretty darn tasty

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?

Always wrapped in special paper and handwritten name tags

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?

White icicle lights outside and white lights on the tree

4. Do you hang mistletoe?

Nope

5. When do you hang your decorations up?

Historically we've always had "family tree decorating night" the Saturday or Sunday following Thanksgiving.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?

Hmm . . . that's really tough.  Everything is always so good and we tend to have some new dishes mixed in with the classics each year.  Maybe homemade cranberry sauce perfectly perched on each bite of juicy turkey?  I also always enjoy the lunchtime appetizer spread that Mom puts out for munchies before dinner.

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child?

My brother and I would be up by 6am on Christmas morning.  The rule was that we weren't allowed out of our rooms until both Mom and Dad told us to come down.  I remember being so frustrated because Dad would take his time letting the dog out, starting a fire, making coffee, etc.  In the meantime, Mom would slowly be getting up for bed and putting her glasses in.  I'm sure it was only 5 minutes of waiting, but it felt like hours!

8. What is on your Christmas Wish list?

Some baking/cooking gadgets, a North Face jacket, and dark chocolate.  I'd desperately love to get a camera, but that's a little much to ask of Santa in this economy.  Looks like the iPhone pictures will continue to suffice for now.

9. Do you open a gifts on Christmas Eve?

We have Christmas Eve dinner at my grandparent's house.  After dinner we open the gifts from them.  We also have a family tradition of exchanging pajamas that night.  We always anxiously await a new pair of cozy jammies!  It's definitely a tradition that I'll enjoy with my kids one day too.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?

We decorate the tree as a family each year after Thanksgiving.  The collection of ornaments is a vast variety of garland, decorative balls, elementary school artwork, baby's first collectibles, commemorative ornaments from vacations, and gifts.  It's really amazing the collection we've accrued and it's always tons of fun reminiscing about the memories that each ornament symbolizes.

11. Snow.  Love it or hate it?

Love it!  Assuming that is that I'm at home, curled up by the fire, and able to watch it fall.

12. Real tree or fake tree?

Growing up we always had a real Frasier Fir tree that we picked out each year.  However, allergies got the best of all of us over the years and we're the proud owners of an artificial tree for the past 6 years.  At least we never have to worry about who watered the tree!

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?

That's really tough!  My parents always do such a great job of giving gifts that I wasn't expecting and are great surprises.  I received my flute and piccolo (different years) as Christmas gifts, and those stick out in my mind as particularly special and treasured gifts.

14. What’s the most important thing about Christmas for you?

Spending time with my parents and brother, seeing the reactions of family members to gifts that I've selected for them, and enjoying the simple pleasures of the holiday season (curling up by the fire, baking, my brother and I both being at home on Christmas Eve).

15. What is your favorite Holiday dessert?

All of these food questions are so hard for me since I find it terribly difficult to pick a single favorite item.  I most enjoy making a tasting plate of small portions of all of the baked goods we've made.  We're having creme brulee for dessert this year, so maybe that will be the new favorite.

16. What is your favorite tradition?

I love that both my brother and I have always been home on Christmas Eve.  It's simple, yet also so special to just relax as a family, open our pajamas, and then all wake up under the same roof on Christmas morning.  It will definitely be different when that doesn't happen one year.

17. What tops your tree?

A star made out of tree branches that is lit with white lights.

18. Which do you prefer: giving or receiving?

Definitely giving.  I love seeing everyone's reactions to the gifts I've picked out for them.

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song?

Transiberian Orchestra's "First Snow"

20. Candy canes, yuck or yum?

I don't have a strong feeling about them.  I rarely eat them plain, but enjoy mixing them into baked goods.

21. Favorite Christmas Movie?

No particular movie stands out in my mind right now.  I remember loving The Santa Claus and Miracle on 34th Street dozens of times each year growing up.

22. What do you leave for Santa?

When we were kids, we always left a plate of cookies and milk.  Plus, of course, some carrots for Rudolph and his buddies.

23. Do you have a Christmas morning tradition?

Now that we're older, getting up at 6am is no longer tradition.  We're normally up by 8am though.  We start with stockings and follow that with presents.  Breakfast consists of grits casserole, sweet rolls, and fruit.  The food goes in the oven when we start presents, and is typically ready about the time the last presents are being unwrapped.

24. Do you prefer to shop on-line or at the mall?
Definitely online - no lines, better prices, no crazy mall traffic, and pretty much the only possible way to shop when you spend the entirety of your day at work.  

25. Christmas letter or Christmas card?

The Christmas letter has become a tradition in our family over the past few years.  We typically rotate among us who takes charge of writing it each year.  It's a fun way to catch friends and family up on the Perkins family happenings, and seem so much more personalized than a generic card.