Christmas Conversation Questions ... take two

[Cathymac]

:grin: When do you start shopping? I pick up things all year, but about now-middle of November-is when I start to get panicky and serious about it!

:grin: Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Chocolate covered cherries and eggnog bread pudding

:grin: Clear lights or colored on the tree? clear on some, colored on others!

:grin: Favorite Christmas song? Beautiful Star of Bethlehem and Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

:grin: Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home! Thank the Lord!!

:grin: Angel on the tree top or a star? Neither-bows and ribbons with flowers and or berries

:grin: Open the presents on Christmas Eve or morning? We open PJs on Christmas Eve and everything else on Christmas morning

:grin: Does your family have any special Christmas traditions? We draw names at my Mom's house to see who's stocking we do...that's our gifts to each other

:grin: What interesting things does your community do at Christmas? The courthouse lawn is decked out with over a million lights and decorated with life sized animated figures and scenes; we have a Christmas parade in early December with Santa on the firetruck. It's wonderful...after the parade, Santa sits in the gazebo on the courthouse lawn and visits with children while the high school girls' choir sings and vendors sell hot chocolate, coffee and cider. It's wonderful, like walking around in a winter wonderland!

:grin: What is the typical menu for a Christmas meal in your family? It actually varies from year to year for other meals...but breakfast is usually bacon, sausage and ham, eggs, biscuits and gravy and cinnamon rolls.

 

[dejavu]

When do you start shopping? Dec. 27th

Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? french silk pie

Clear lights or colored on the tree? both- on different trees

Favorite Christmas song?too many to choose

Travel at Christmas or stay home? host

Angel on the tree top or a star? both - on different trees

Open the presents on Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas morning

Does your family have any special Christmas traditions? watching all our favorite movies during weekends in Nov. and Dec., playing Christmas music- cds, piano, singing, make a new style of ornament for our homemade ornament tree, take the kids' picture by the tree the day after Thanksgiving, pick some kids to buy gifts for from the giving tree at church

What interesting things does your community do at Christmas? ??

What is the typical menu for a Christmas meal in your family?ham, hash brown casserole, rolls, salad, stewed tomatoes, veggies, pies, cookies

 

[KimD]

When do you start shopping? mostly all year

Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? My aunts christmas cookies which should be showing up in the mail very soon

Clear lights or colored on the tree? both we would have all the lamps in the house if dh had his way also.

Favorite Christmas song?Rockin Around the Tree


Travel at Christmas or stay home?both all day long we open gifts at home then to my moms then home then to my moms

Angel on the tree top or a star? Niether I have an old world Santa that my gram bought me 15 yrs ago when I moved out of my moms house

Open the presents on Christmas Eve or morning? Both we have christmas with my stepsister on Christmas eve it has been that way for 32 yrs now and my brothers and I exchange our gifts then also. Christmas morning we open gifts at home then have to be at my moms house because she still requires all of her children at her house Christmas morning to open gifts from them together.

Does your family have any special Christmas traditions?For me and my kids we have a tradition of we have a small table infront of our window That we light a candle for each person that is no longer with us that we miss. We also have special pictures of each person on that table. My gram started this with me when I was 4 and it was the first christmas with out my grampa and I wanted him with me on Christmas. We have now added my gram, my dad, and my nehfew. My brothers and I spend time remembering Christmas's from when we were younger while we are sitting there waiting for my mom so that we can open our presents

What interesting things does your community do at Christmas? Parade of trees that are decorated by children groups

What is the typical menu for a Christmas meal in your family?Grilled Steak and Lobster Its fun to watch my stepdad out there grilling steak in 4ft. of snow.

 

[crazymo]

:grin: When do you start shopping? Day after Thanksgiving

:grin: Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? I love it all!!!

:grin: Clear lights or colored on the tree? Small white and large colored

:grin: Favorite Christmas song? O Holy Night

:grin: Travel at Christmas or stay home? My parents for Christmas eve and Christmas day my sil and I take turns hosting

:grin: Angel on the tree top or a star? Star but I have yet to find the perfect one!

:grin: Open the presents on Christmas Eve or morning? Both

:grin: Does your family have any special Christmas traditions? Christmas eve Church then supper and gifts at Mom and Dads, in the morning we open our family gifts and stockings and start cooking for his side

:grin: What interesting things does your community do at Christmas?

:grin: What is the typical menu for a Christmas meal in your family? Hors dovres and hot mulled wine Christmas eve and Christmas night we have Prime rib, various vegetables and salads and for desert we have cream de menthe cake.

 

[SmilingSandra]

When do you start shopping? I start sometime in October because I like to be finished by the first of December

Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? I would have to say my mom's sugar cookies or Nanaimo bars...yum!

Clear lights or colored on the tree? We have clear twinkle lights, but have had both in the past

Favorite Christmas song? Honestly, I love all Christmas songs, but my favorite CD is by Hanson

Travel at Christmas or stay home? We travel every year - we just don't live by any relatives

Angel on the tree top or a star? Hubby and I had an arguement about this one one time. I like a star - he says angel. He won!

Open the presents on Christmas Eve or morning? It depends whose house we are at for Christmas - my parents Christmas morning - inlaws Christmas Eve

Does your family have any special Christmas traditions? The inlaws are scandinavian so we celebrate Santa Lucia and eat lot's of swedish/norwegian foods.

What interesting things does your community do at Christmas? I can't say that our community does anything out of the ordinary or special besided decorating.

What is the typical menu for a Christmas meal in your family?The inlaws would have chicken, pototoes, swedish meatballs, lutefisk [yuck!], pickled herring, potato sausage, lefse and flatbread. My parents have the traditional english type meal.

 

[snowangel00]

When do you start shopping? Much later than I ever should!

Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Goodies that I only have once a year.

Clear lights or colored on the tree? clear on some, colored on others!

Favorite Christmas song? Favorite song period - O Holy Night and O Come O Come Emmanuel

Travel at Christmas or stay home? No traveling - thank goodness!

Angel on the tree top or a star? Ribbon with twigs, picks, etc

Open the presents on Christmas Eve or morning? Always both

Does your family have any special Christmas traditions? Every year since I was born my entire family attends the candle light service at church on Christmas Eve. We then all head to my Grandparents house to eat, laugh, and open presents.

What interesting things does your community do at Christmas? Live nativities.

What is the typical menu for a Christmas meal in your family? I would say the typical holiday menu. Turkey/Ham, Potatoes, Casseroles, Rolls, Drinks (hot and cold), Salads, Desserts, etc.

 

[Snowbelle27]

When do you start shopping? I shop all year round.

Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Anything with cranberries.

Clear lights or colored on the tree? Clear.

Favorite Christmas song? Favorite song period - Driving Home for Christmas - Chris Rea.

Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home.

Angel on the tree top or a star? Star.

Open the presents on Christmas Eve or morning?Christmas morning.

Does your family have any special Christmas traditions?Advent calenders, Christmas pjs, Mince pies and mulled wine while putting up the tree, going to a pantomine.

What interesting things does your community do at Christmas? Nothing.

What is the typical menu for a Christmas meal in your family? Turkey with stuffing, roast potatoes, mash potatoes. broccoli, carrotts, sprouts, cranberry sauce, with christmas pudding and custard to follow.

:globe:

 

[Christmaslvr]

When do you start shopping? Usually in September, but try to pick up things throughout the year

Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Christmas cookies, of course!

Clear lights or colored on the tree? Colored

Favorite Christmas song? Way to many to just list one.

Travel at Christmas or stay home? Always stay at home

Angel on the tree top or a star? Angel

Open the presents on Christmas Eve or morning? One gift on Christmas Eve, the rest on Christmas morning

Does your family have any special Christmas traditions? My dd(16) started the one present on Christmas Eve long ago, when she was little. Also, we always drove around to look at the lights, but over the past couple of years we now bring hot chocolate and some Christmas cookies with us, oh and a blanket too.

What interesting things does your community do at Christmas? Don't really know

What is the typical menu for a Christmas meal in your family? I've had dinner here at my house for the past couple of years and I make lasagne, salad, bread. There's always good hors de'ovres (sp?), homemade candies, wine and of course....cookies!!

 

[redfairy]

When do you start shopping?
I usually buy stuff year round, but if i wait for the sales, then in October-November

Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?
Candy canes! Or, maybe the red and green M&Ms!

Clear lights or colored on the tree?
Clear

Favorite Christmas song?
I love them all!

Travel at Christmas or stay home?
Stay home. My family and dh's family all live nearby.

Angel on the tree top or a star?
Star

Open the presents on Christmas Eve or morning?
Christmas morning; although I'm pretty sure the kids will argue 1am is Christmas morning, lol!

Does your family have any special Christmas traditions?
Baking cookies for Santa, making a gingerbread house, getting Christmas pajamas

What interesting things does your community do at Christmas?
Holiday music concerts, parades, community dinners

What is the typical menu for a Christmas meal in your family?
Ham, turkey, mashed potatoes, rice, salad, all kinds of dessert

 

[chilli]

:grin: When do you start shopping?
I shop the whole year for christmas

:grin: Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?
depends on what we've planned

:grin: Clear lights or colored on the tree?
we have clear wax candles (as well as bucket of water next to the tree)

:grin: Favorite Christmas song?
last christmas - Wham

:grin: Travel at Christmas or stay home?
stay at home

:grin: Angel on the tree top or a star?

:grin: Open the presents on Christmas Eve or morning?
christmas eve

:grin: Does your family have any special Christmas traditions?
visit our families as well as have a walk through the city center of Vienna
(to look all the decoration as well as to have a look on the navities in the churches)

:grin: What interesting things does your community do at Christmas?


:grin: What is the typical menu for a Christmas meal in your family?
raclette or fondue - it depens on what we have planned

Chilli

 

[luludou]

When do you start shopping? All throught the year but mostly around october

Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Desserts!

Clear lights or colored on the tree? colored

Favorite Christmas song?Frosty the snowman, le feu danse dans la cheminée, white christmas... etc...

Travel at Christmas or stay home? 24th at my mom's and the rest is home

Angel on the tree top or a star? We now have a star because the angel is broken but I prefer the angel

Open the presents on Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas Eve

Does your family have any special Christmas traditions? we started the elf last year. They open their stockings new year's eve.... sleigh ride for newyear's eve... Christmas mass on the 24th...

What interesting things does your community do at Christmas? don't know

What is the typical menu for a Christmas meal in your family? Tourtière, vegetable soup, buffet in the evening.

 

[MinnieCo]

When do you start shopping? All throught the year but mostly around october

Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Eggnog anything

Clear lights or colored on the tree? Clearn for family tree, colored for Disney Tree

Favorite Christmas song? Hmm, that's touch. I love the Garth Brooks and Barbara Streisand Christmas CD's though. They are my FAVORITE!

Travel at Christmas or stay home? I'm all about staying HOME!

Angel on the tree top or a star? We've had a Santa that was my Grandma's, but we're looking for a Madame Alexander Angel Tree Topper

Open the presents on Christmas Eve or morning? Was always Christmas evening, but we're splitting it up now and my daughter LOVES it that way of course.

Does your family have any special Christmas traditions? 12 days of Christmas, a special play, always 1 night for lights and hot chocolate. Ward Christmas party.

What interesting things does your community do at Christmas? We have the parade of lights in Denver, I always go to the local craft fair at the rec center and we have a great light display at the Zoo and Botanical gardens.

What is the typical menu for a Christmas meal in your family? Well, until 2 years ago we had the whole chibang!! But now I save that for the big family dinner at my inlaws and we all bring something. For the last 2 years, we've had Chicken and dumplings, some other new soup and breads. That way I can put something on in the morning and not have to stress in the kitchen all day. I'm still up in the air on how I feel about it, but for the most part I've enjoyed saving that stress for Thanksgiving only.

 

[Darcy]

:grin: When do you start shopping?
The day after Christmas!

:grin: Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? A traditional pie my grandmother
always made. Melted marshmellows mixed with whipped cream, poured into
a graham cracker pie shell - add shaved chocolate on top.

:grin: Clear or colored lights on the tree?
Lots and lots of colored lights. I have a color wheel for my
silver aluminum tree.

:grin: Favorite Christmas song?
To sing: Silver Bells, O Holy Night, Joy to the World
To listen to: The Christmas Song by Nat King Cole, White Christmas by Bing Crosby,
Merry Christmas Darling by Karen Carpenter

:grin: Travel at Christmas or stay home? We travel one hour west on Christmas Day
for Christmas dinner with DH's family.

:grin: Angel on the tree top or a star? Angel

:grin: Open the presents on Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas morning,
although we open some gifts from out of town on Christmas Eve.

:grin: Does your family have any special Christmas traditions?
DH and I don't have children, so we do a lot of childish things for each other.
We put up our first Christmas tree the first weekend of November.
We fill each other's stockings on Christmas Eve.
I sing in choir, so we have many choir friends over after the Christmas
concert.
We go to church and over to friends on Christmas Eve. We alternate
houses.
We watch the Plaza lights go on Thanksgiving night.
We visit the Plaza and Crown Center during the holidays (see below)

:grin: What interesting things does your community do at Christmas?
Kansas City has a huge outdoor shopping district called the Plaza. They
light up all these buildings on Thanksgiving night.
We have another shopping area called Crown Center. They have choirs
sing there every day throughout December.
We have two drive through light displays in parks.
The Mayor's Christmas concert - all proceeds from ticket sales goes
to charity.

:grin: What is the typical menu for a Christmas meal in your family?
Turkey, gravy, stuffing, brocolli rice casserole, sweet potatoes, rolls, pumpkin pie.

 

[luludou]

Mmmm. Darcy your grandmother's pie looks yummy!

 

[SparkleNana]

I had the same opinion about Darcy's grandmother's pie. I immediately started thinking about making it. One possible variation - either a chocolate pie crust -- or tons of shaved or melted chocolate on the bottom, between the crust and the filling. Then the filling and the shaved chocolate on top. :skate:

 

[MinnieCo]

Not fair, they don't have a drooling icon..guess I'll have to do this.. :thud: :thud:

 

[starflake]

When do you start shopping?

Year-round, here and there.

Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?

Sugar cookies.

Clear lights or colored on the tree?

Clear

Favorite Christmas song?

To play: "The Christmas Song," but I adore listening to countless.

Travel at Christmas or stay home?

Stay Home

Angel on the tree top or a star?

Changes often

Open the presents on Christmas Eve or morning?

Both; sometimes we stay up until midnight.

Does your family have any special Christmas traditions?

We have a celebration countdown

What interesting things does your community do at Christmas?

Lots of homemade goods, parades, charitable opportunities, and a big tree lighting.

What is the typical menu for a Christmas meal in your family?

Spiral ham, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, cornbread, dinner rolls, dressing, candied yams or a sweet potato dish, pumpkin pie, and to drink, apple juice. This year I'd like to make broccoli casserole.

 

[Jadyne]

When do you start shopping? Usually all year, but this year I've done none.

Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? New recipes. The old menu is written in stone by our extended families, and is so heavy for those of us with varied tastes and trying to keep the pounds off.

Clear lights or colored on the tree? White or a solid color with a theme.

Favorite Christmas song? What Child Is This?

Travel at Christmas or stay home? Travel to parents and in-laws.

Angel on the tree top or a star? We were given a darling angel last year.

Open the presents on Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas Eve

Does your family have any special Christmas traditions? Nothing in stone.

What interesting things does your community do at Christmas? The whole town used to do luminaries on Christmas Eve, but in the past ten years tholder ladies who organized it passed on and the tradition died. Only a few houses do it anymore.

What is the typical menu for a Christmas meal in your family? Ham, Goose, Mashed Potatoes and ham gravy, creamed corn, string beans, cranberry sauce, stuffing, pies.

 

[mommytotwo]

When do you start shopping? I hope all year around.

Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Christmas cookies

Clear lights or colored on the tree? Colored, but we did do clear last year, and it was nice, so we might do that this year as well.

Favorite Christmas song? Rockin around the Christmas tree

Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay at home

Angel on the tree top or a star? Disney Minnie star

Open the presents on Christmas Eve or morning? Both, just a few the last week of Christmas, and the rest on Christmas morning.

Does your family have any special Christmas traditions? I get the kids a special ornament, we bake cookies and other goodies, and leave cookies, and milk out for Santa.

What interesting things does your community do at Christmas? Nothing

What is the typical menu for a Christmas meal in your family? We usually grill.

 

[pixiestick]

When do you start shopping? Jan 1

Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? fudge - no nuts thank you

Clear lights or colored on the tree? clear although I grew up with colored

Favorite Christmas song? Carol of the Bells

Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay Home

Angel on the tree top or a star? changes year to year

Open the presents on Christmas Eve or morning? Chrsitmas Eve- Chrsitmas morning is for Santa only

Does your family have any special Christmas traditions? none out of the ordinary really

What interesting things does your community do at Christmas? they have huge lighted Santa on a sleigh with 3 reindeer mounted on the city works building, there is a heritage village that has a holiday sleigh ride etc..

What is the typical menu for a Christmas meal in your family? a repeat of Thanksgiving really but with cookies instead of pie