The Friday Five: Christmas questions...

[fajrdrako]

From thefridayfive:

1. What is your fave thing about Christmas?


People smile.

Really, I can hardly choose just one thing as a favourite. I like Christmas conceptually, not as a Christian holiday, but as a celebration of life. I love it that its best symbol is a tree, or lights like stars. I love it that people decorate their houses with lights. I love Christmas cards and letters, including electronic ones. I love the idea of singing angels, and giving gifts, and people getting together with turkey and cranberry sauce and plum pudding. I love stories set a Christmas - Dickens, fanfic, O. Henry, all of it.

When I was a child, my favourite thing about Christmas was a candy my mother used to make called Maple Cream. I have her recipe, but I have never been able to reproduce it.

To be even-handed here, there are a few things I don't like about Christmas. I don't like Jingle Bells and Winter Wonderland playing ad inifinitum in muzak in the shopping malls. I don't like people complaining about materialism at Christmas (but thinking it's okay the rest of the year), or arguing about whether to say "Happy Holidays" or "Merry Christmas". Most of all, I don't like incredibly ugly 8' inflatable plastic Santas and snowmen that turn up on some people's snowy front yards. Have they no shame?


2. Did you believe in Santa Clause? If so, what was the best gift from him?


I don't remember ever believing in Santa Clause, but I loved the stories about him, and leaving milk and cookies for the reindeer. Santa obviously didn't care whether I believed in him or not, because he came to my house anyway.

His best gift? I was three. Looking out from the top of my Christmas stocking - hung that year on the outside of my bedroom door, I don't recall why - was a soft little brown teddy bear named Brownie. Brownie stayed with me for a very long time. For most of that time he had a little rip in his neck, but it made me love him all the more.


3. Do you have a Christmas Tree? Ribbon, Angel, Star or ______ on Top?


This year, no tree: I decorated the harp instead, with gold beads and red ornaments and put a burgundy-robed angel on top of the post where a dragon usually stands. (The dragon is actually still there, under the angel's skirts. There is probably deep symbolism there somewhere.)


4. Best stocking stuffer you got?


Brownie. See above.


5. Wishing for a White Christmas?


Well, of course. It would take a lot of rain and warm temperatures to wash away all the snow we have now. Heaps and heaps. It's hard to get around in it, but it's pretty, and puts a person in a Christmas sort of mood.