'Tis the Season

Because I've been looking to blog and haven't had much to talk about over the weekend, I'm joining in the fun after being tagged by Dr. Wes. I still don't know what the heck 'meme' means, but apparently this is one. In honour of the season...

1. Hot Chocolate or Egg Nog?
Given a choice, probably the hot chocolate. I'll drink Egg Nog if it's diluted 50/50 with milk, but I don't crave it or anything.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
He wraps them. Unwrapping is half the fun of receiving!

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
White is my preference, but lights are lights... I love all of them!

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
Nope-- my lips are spoken for, and I haven't been married for so long that I need a reason to kiss my husband!

5. When do you put your decorations up?
My family tradition is to do the deed the first weekend of December, but now that I end up spending holidays traveling to see my mom and my inlaws it doesn't seem worth the effort. A little Scroogey, I know.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish?
Turkey. Save me a drumstick. And my sister's patented marinated mushrooms.

7. Favorite Holiday memory?
When we were kids my mom made a massive advent calender and under each day of the month there would be a small felt bag that contained three identical little gifts for my sisters and I. It made the whole month feel like Christmas!

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
The truth is highly overrated in this case.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
I have in the past, but don't right now... and Mr. Couz and I haven't really decided what traditions we'll be passing on to our own future kidlets.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree?
With a collection of ornaments that mix old and new, tasteful and tacky, meaningful and not. Again, we're still working on establishing our own traditions.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it?
Love it! It would be un-Canadian to say otherwise.

12. Can you ice skate?
What Canadian hasn't skated the length of the Rideau Canal at Winterlude? Of course I can skate. Can I skate WELL, however, is another question altogether.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
Would it be unromantic to say that it was the deep freeze that my mom gave me last year?

14. What’s the most important thing?
Remembering the reason for the season and spending time with loved ones.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert?
It's all about the Buche de Noel.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
Christmas morning-- opening stockings first (my family makes a fuss over stockings), then sitting down to a Christmas Brunch which always features my sister's rocking marinated mushrooms, a huge fruit salad, Montreal bagels and smoked salmon. Damn. Now I'm hungry.

17. What tops your tree?
It used to be an angel with black wings that I made in pre-school. Now it's a much nicer angel that doesn't have nearly as many memories attached to it.

18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving?
Giving, although with so little time to shop it becomes stressful. I'd rather do away with presents altogether and just make it about family.

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song?
Angels We Have Heard on High

20. Candy canes, Yuck or Yum?
Love 'em. We're lucky if there are any left for the tree.

I won't be tagging anyone-- most of the blogs I frequent have meme-d already (is that a verb?) and I don't want to be responsible for putting pressure on a relative stranger.

More real blogging to come later.