Christmas Meme

I saw the Christmas Meme on this blog. Now it is my turn.

1. Egg nog or hot chocolate? Egg nog, hot chocolate the rest of the year.
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Wrapped. The anticipation is half the fun.
3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? Being a child born in the early 70s...color color and more color. The bigger the bulbs the better!
4. Do you hang mistletoe? No.
5. When do you put your decorations up? Usually second week of December indoors, Thanksgiving outdoors (when the weather is better here). We don't take them down indoors until middle of January, because my mom used to recognize the Orthodox Calendar for Christmas, too.
6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? Sweet potato casserole.
7. Favorite holiday memory as a child? Getting Christmas presents from my Baba.
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? Probably 7. Don't remember.
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Not until I was a teenager did my family do this.
10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? Of course, the tacky ornaments we all make in childhood, gold garland, colored lights, glass balls, and various theme ornaments (like bears, or college teams). I love the trees that reflect the family's life.
11. Snow! Love it or dread it? I love it. Grew up in Alaska.
12. Can you ice skate? Yes, love it. I spent most of my weekends on the ice as a kid.
13. Do you remember your favorite gift? Can't remember one. Probably my bicycles.
14. What's the most important thing about the holidays for you? Slowing down and spending relaxing time with my family. I don't like to over schedule the holiday.
15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? Any kind of cookie!
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Traditional Polish food and cookies.
17. What tops your tree? A gold star, only because I can't find anything but tacky-looking angels the last few years. Maybe I will just make one!
18. Which do you prefer, giving or receiving? Giving. I tend to be a good gift giver, as a friend recently told me. :) Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. In fact, I usually tend to give at least one gift early, as I am too excited to wait to give gifts to others.
19. What is your favorite Christmas song? I can't pick one...Silver bells, Little Drummer Boy, and Do You See What I See? I HATE Santa Baby and Jingle Bell Rock, and that Beatles song because they are overplayed here locally.
20. Candy canes? YES. Good in your tea.
21. Favorite Christmas movie? Charlie Brown Christmas (see child o' the 70s.)
22. What do you leave for Santa? Cookies and milk.