Christmas survey

Lauren tagged me for a Christmas survey. And because it gives me something to post, I'm shamelessly taking her up on it. Also, I tag Nicole, Jen, and Kathleen for this one.

1. What kind of tree do you have?
Right this moment, we don't have a tree yet. I refuse to get a tree and decorate it without my sister, so we're waiting until the weekend. I know all you weirdos with your fake trees are wondering how the hell I feel like it's Christmas without a tree in the house. Well, just so you know, people once put up Christmas trees on Christmas Eve. And before that, people didn't put up Christmas trees at all. So yeah. We're waiting until the family can decorate it together. When we do get a tree it'll be either a Frasier or Douglas fir tree. Those are my favorites.

2. What is your favorite Christmas movie?
"Home Alone" and "A Charlie Brown Christmas"

3. What is your favorite Christmas holiday food?
My mom makes this weird cranberry congealed salad for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I like it, but it's not my favorite thing in the world to eat. However, it's my favorite thing because of the tradition.

4. Do you use wrapping paper or gift bags?
Gift bags are such a cop out.

5. Do you have a nativity scene in your house?
We have two. One is this serene looking crystal set my mom got as a gift. The other is a funky gold set with about a million pieces, including two camels my grandpa named Zeak and Abdul. Obviously the names have stuck. I freaking love those camels. And that nativity scene. Even though it's hopelessly tacky.

6. What is your favorite Christmas song?
I like the Charlie Brown Christmas album with the kids singing "Christmastime Is Here." It always gets stuck in my head, and I walk around singing in a really high-pitched weird breathy voice after I hear it. And who doesn't love the Chipmunks Christmas song? I also like Ron Sexsmith's version of "Maybe This Christma" and "River" by Joni Mitchell (though, admittedly, "River" isn't really a Christmas song at all and is kind of sad).

7. What is the most memorable gift you received as a child?
I got a wooden Nutcracker doll one year after I got slighted by my ballet teacher for the Clara role in the yearly production. She picked her daughter instead of me.

8. What was the worst gift you ever received?
Right after Chad and I broke up sophomore year, we exchanged the gifts we'd already gotten each other. I got him a devotional book that he already had, and he got me a bonsai tree. I think I got the short end of that stick. Stupid tree.

9. Most annoying thing about this time of year?
Martha, Martha! That's what I think of now when I think about how feverish everyone gets around the holidays. There's this one passage in Luke where Jesus goes to visit Mary, Martha and Lazarus in their home. Mary literally sits at his feet listening to him speak while Martha bustles around like a crazy woman and finally gets mad at her sister for not helping her. And it's hilarious because right after she protests to Jesus about how her sister hasn't lifted a finger to help her, Jesus says her name not once, but twice and then tells her that Mary has chosen the better portion. It's weird, but while I love the family stuff I'm doing right now, some stuff with my family and far more with the boyfriend's ginormous family, sometimes I just want go for a long drive and not do any of it. In all the festivities and nonsensical traditions, I feel completely lost.

10. Favorite thing about this time of year?
My sister and I always eat Asian food on Christmas night. We go out for hibachi and sushi, usually, and she eats the sushi and I eat the hibachi. My favorite thing? My family. They're crazy, but I love them. Christmas always seemed like it was going to be disappointing at my house when I was growing up. My dad never liked it because it made him feel inadequate when he couldn't give us the piles of gifts he thought we wanted. But on Christmas morning, we always felt fine, like we loved each other and it didn't matter that my sister and I got pajamas from my mom and something from the Christian bookstore from my dad or that my dad got yet another tie and gave my mom something she would never wear. We're OK, and I like it that way.