Saturday, December 28, 2013

A Very Festive Tag!

Merry Christmas everyone! And for everybody who's sitting there saying, "You can't say that because it's three days after Christmas Day", Christmas lasts until the 6TH JANUARY. I repeat, the 6TH JANUARY. Sorry about that rant, it's just that I've had a lot of people telling me this year that Christmas ends after Boxing Day/the New Year (someone even said that the twelve days of Christmas in the song are from the 1st to the 12th of December. Eep.). In fact, the days between Christmas Day and Twelfth Night are my favourite parts of Christmas (and possibly the whole year), because no one's stressed any more after the Christmas parties and the shopping, but everything's still festive when the decorations are still up and Christmas songs are on the radio. And then there's the New Year right in the middle, which jazzes things up a bit.

Anyway, so earlier this month, on my return to the blogosphere, I was catching up with Helena's blog In A Few Nutshells (awesome, go follow it!), when I saw her Christmas Tag. And I thought it would be a nice, festive idea to have a go myself. But enough stalling, IT'S CHRISTMAS NOSTALGIA TIME!


(Oh yeah, and that's me and my mum when I was eight in front of the New York Christmas lights.)



Do you like to stay in your PJ’s, or dress up for Christmas?

I like to stay in my big, warm, furry onesie for a bit longer than usual, just because I wouldn't want to interrupt the present opening and excitement and general joy by having to go upstairs to get changed. But later I do like dressing up a bit, especially if I get new clothes for Christmas (this year I got an unbelievably warm mohair jumper).

Do you open your presents Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?

 I think Christmas Eve is about anticipation, leaving sherry out for Santa and losing sleep waiting for him to arrive, and Christmas morning is about joy, celebrating, giving and receiving gifts and waking up to the sight of a full stocking, so definitely the latter (by the way, I've never actually heard of someone opening presents on Christmas Eve, so please comment below if you do. Is it more of a thing in another country?).

What do you like to do on your Christmas break?

Well, I hate to say this, but in the week leading up to Christmas it's mostly either doing my Christmas shopping or helping my mum with hers. But I do manage to relax as well, occasionally going out with or inviting over friends and just generally chilling at home. And then of course there's get togethers with family and all that jazz, and after that for Christmas until after the New Year my family and I go and have a relaxing week or so in Suffolk. Except for last year when we went to Sri Lanka, but that's a whole other story...

What's your favourite Christmas meal or treat?

I love mince pies, and fancy chocolates shaped like penguins and bells, and all the other ubiquitous Christmas sweet stuffies, but my favourite Christmas food item has to be pigs-in-blankets. For those of you who don't know, these are mini sausages wrapped in bacon, and they sound pretty simple, but they are SO addictive. As long as I can remember, I've always been the person who will scoff all the PIBs while everyone's out of the room...

What's your favourite holiday movie?

You know, I'm not really that into holiday movies. I don't really see why we have this obligation to ONLY watch holiday movies at Christmas. At least the radio plays a nice equal mix of holiday and regular music. Also I've had a childhood filled with more old-fashioned Christmas traditions, and things like movies and jumpers weren't really part of that.  I prefer to watch the movies I love during Christmas, or new ones, or DVDs I got for Christmas (this year I received and watched Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist, and also watched 500 Days Of Summer). But if you really want my choice, I like Elf, and the Home Alone movies.

Candy Canes or Gingerbread Men?

Mince pies! Candy Canes look too pretty to eat, and when you do they taste like toothpaste, and I've never really liked ginger. Sorry if this question and the one before sound a bit Scroogey!

Have you ever made a snowman?

The snow here only really comes in January, and there's always either not enough or it's too wet to pack. I've tried, but even once when I made an elaborate plan for seaweed eyes and a pencil nose, I've never got beyond the base sphere. But maybe that's just as well, considering immature-9-year-old me's plans for an anatomically correct snowman. Urgh.

Which do you like better, Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?

Christmas Eve, for all the anticipation I was talking about earlier, and the weeks before Christmas in general. Decorating the house, lights appearing on the streets, Christmas TV ads (my friend and I were the Bear and the Hare for our school's fancy dress day this year), Christmas music creeping onto the radio...all that EXCITEMENT. Although Christmas Day is less stressful, which is also good.

White lights or coloured lights?

The town near our house in Suffolk has a wealth of houses whose owners choose to adorn their home with tasteless and eye-damaging blue and green lights and neon Santas, so I will forever prefer the more elegant white lights.

Can you name all of Santa's reindeer?

Dasher, Donner, Blitzen, Vixen, Rudolf (is it a ph or an f?), Dancer, Prancer, Glancer, Trancer, Enhancer – he who enhances the quality of your presents on Christmas Eve? – Jeff, Chris, Daniel...

Real or fake tree?

Real. There's an epic Christmas tree farm near our house in Suffolk, which each year I wander around singing carols to myself, fingering the trees. We also have an artificial light-up one, and a traditional wooden one with its own wooden baubles.

What would be your dream place to visit for the holiday season?

I think that there truly is no place like home for the festive season, but it would be nice to have a proper white Christmas in some mountains somewhere, or maybe go to the Southern Hemisphere, and have Christmas on the beach.


I hope you enjoyed The DP: Christmas Special, and if you decide to do this tag, make sure to let me know so I can have a look. I hope to make more Christmas posts, perhaps to finally continue the 10 Day Photo Challenge, and post my Christmas jewellery and winter drinks...hang in there!
-DP :)

1 comment:

  1. You have a onesie, that is cool 8-D They are warm, and fun to wear. And have feet in them, so really, PJs don't get much better than that.

    I think I am like you. I like the weeks leading up to Christmas because they are fun and exciting, but they do get busy. it is nice afterward, when things slow down and you can really relax. That is what I have been doing this last week, one final week of doing next to nothing before school starts.

    Merry Late Christmas to you!!

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