I was tagged in this Christmas tag (created by Femenish) by Anne Carty. Please check out both of their posts!
Rules:
- link back to the original post (by femenish) when you have written yours and link back to the person who tagged you!
- tag as many bloggers as you like.
- answer the questions! If you want to you can make up your own questions to ask the bloggers you have tagged, or you can use these ones!
1. What is your favorite thing about Christmas?
Traditions!! Tree decorating, carol singing and playing, cookie making, present making and wrapping, it's all glorious.
2. Do you have any Christmas traditions you CANNOT forget about each year?
Decorating the tree to Christmas tunes, making cookies, and giving handmade presents to my friends and loved ones. Since meeting my fiance, we've begun a tradition of watching the Muppet Christmas Carol on Christmas Eve, because in the movie one of the songs says "After all, there's only one more sleep til Christmas" and it really embodies the spirit of such a magical celebration being only a sleep away, if you can get to sleep with all the excitement.
3. Is there a song that just gets you into that Christmas spirit?
"It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" because of the lovely descriptions of the holly and Christmas trees in the stores and parks, "the sturdy kind that doesn't mind the snow".
4. What is your favorite Christmas movie?
The Rankin Bass Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Although I have some issues with it, mostly that Santa is an ableist d*ck but the claymation style of this and the age at which I watched it just solidified it as a Christmas classic for me. My favorite part is when Snowman Sam sings his classic song "Silver and Gold". It makes me feel so peaceful! I love it so much that I got a Snowman Sam collectible ornament to put on my tree, one of the only breakable ornaments I have because I try to limit things the cats can destroy. But if Snowman Sam is up there I'm protecting that tree like the Lorax- short, shouty and hairy.
I also love when Rudolph and his friends get to the Island of Misfit Toys. I love all of the toys, but especially the pink spotted elephant. As a child I wanted to give them all a home , misfit or not.
5. Which food is your must-have at Christmas time?
On Christmas day I like to have a beef roast instead of a turkey or ham, as we've usually just had too much turkey at Thanksgiving. But the real reason it has to be roast beef is that in How The Grinch Stole Christmas, they have "roast beast" in their fantastic cartoon celebration with all its amazing toys and instruments, and as a kid I always wanted to have that kind of Christmas party.
6. If you had to choose between Michael Buble's Christmas album and Justin Beiber's Christmas album, which one would you choose and why?
Michael Buble. I used to like his music a lot when I was about fourteen, because the acoustics of my shower meant I could do a (to my own standards at the time) semi decent impression of his Sinatra covers while showering.
7. What is your favorite memory about Christmas?
Hmm. Most of my good holiday memories are of Thanksgiving and New Years, but one good Christmas memory I have is an early one, when I was 5 or 6 and my parents were still together. My dad had been struggling with jobs and I think that year my parents had to get our presents from the Salvation Army, where my dad was working part time. My present was a Barbie that had school clothes, a lunch box, and I think glasses or something which might have been why they got it for me. Other than the fact that I was a 6 year old girl and loved all things Barbie. But, I was also new to glasses-wearing and wasn't taking it well. I'll admit it now, I looked pretty bad in glasses up til 16 or 17 when I switched from round and oval frames to rectangles.
8. When do you start decorating your place for Christmas?
The day after Thanksgiving, as soon as I can get away with it.
9. If you were at Christmas Karaoke, which 5 songs would you choose to play?
Well, the ones I consider my favorites aren't necessarily the ones I know all the words to. I know the words to the classic carols, having caroled with my parents church and at nursing homes as a girl scout, but those ones are typically solemn and not really the karaoke mood.
I guess I might have to say Baby It's Cold Outside, as much as I don't like it. And I don't dislike it because it's rapey, I dislike it because I hate when people can't just tell one another what they mean and a society that makes stupid social games necessary.
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Have a Holly Jolly Christmas, Jingle Bells of course, and if it's an option then the Heat Miser song from The Year Without a Santa Claus. The heat miser is my spirit animal, I sing his song often throughout the year and I am indeed too much.
10. What are your top 4 Christmas movies?
Again, I do have to go with the Rankin Bass classics- Santa Claus is Comin' to Town, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, The Year Without a Santa, and Jack Frost, because they are so Christmassy and gave such wonderful songs to the theme of Christmas music that don't have to be sappy or religious. Also, I will ride or die with Rankin Bass because of the versions they made of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, long before Peter Jackson. Did you know they also produced Frosty the Snowman, The Wind in the Willows and The Last Unicorn?
Other ones that are very classic are things like White Christmas and Holiday Inn but they're just so intolerably cringey to watch now, with how useless and easily manipulated they portray the women.
11. What does Christmas really mean to you?
Christmas itself, Dec. 25th, I think is a good reason to spend a day with people you love and enjoying holiday traditions. As a religious holiday, I can't give it much credence. It's kind of one of those "You made this? I made this." situations that really overshadows a whole month of beautiful cultural celebrations. That's why "Happy Holidays" is my preferred greeting and isn't at all anti-Christmas, it recognizes that the month of December contains a lot of holidays. It's anti Christmas-exclusive I guess, because the fact is that lots of political and cultural systems may still run on Christian-appropriated holidays, but the people of the world don't.
12. How old were you when you stopped believing in Santa?
About nine, I think. My brother and I had already caught our mom putting presents in the stockings on Christmas Eve, and we got the news broken to us a little after that.
13. What do you think makes Christmas so magical?
Winter is the season of one of my favorite holidays, but not being religious in terms of Christianity means my view of Christmas is one of an outsider. I think it gives the whole month a sense of magic, and a reason to indulge in all the things that increase that sense of Christmas magic and nostalgia- whether it's making cookies, decorating with lights, and hand making, wrapping and giving presents. But the greatest part of generating those feelings with holiday traditions is sharing it with others, which is how that holiday feeling stays so strong when you go out and people are happy, being more generous and sharing cheer. When you make cookies, send them to people you love. Donate your time serving food at soup kitchens, buy or make extra toys and donate them to toy drives, if you make hats or mittens make a few extra for your local NICU ward. Christmas means indulging in and sharing traditions to keep the magic alive in your own home and in your community.
14. Share your favorite photo from a previous Christmas
I can't pick just one. Sorry! Here is a photo of our tree and decorations a few years ago in an old apartment. And then some bonus pictures of one of the best things about the holidays for me!
Tag others!
Samantha @SamSpace Blog samspace.blog
Victoria @Victoria Austin Blog victoriaaustin.co.uk
Bailey @Bailey Leah Blog baileyleah.com
Char @LunarChar Blog lunarchar.com
Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed, and have happy holidays all month, and a happy new year!
1 comment:
I loved reading this. Christmas is such a magical time. I love the photos you included, especially the ones of your cat. Those glowing eyes!! 😹
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