25 days til Christmas!

A Christmas tradition I remember growing up was my grandmother making some cookies with reese's cups and sending to other family members. Other than that we didnt have many traditions.

Memories that stick with me is my first christmas with my new puppy, a watching the nutcracker over and over again, and going to the Philippines one year.

I learned having Christmas with one or two family members is better than celebrating alone like I had done a few times it seems more merrier with parents around.

I would like to explore a bit this year for Christmas that is something I have not tried.

Last year the kids and I studied the symbols of Christmas. This year we're studying Jesus's names.

@Johobbit, I cant share the whole file because it's something that someone created and sold to me, but I think it's okay to at least share the names as they're from the Bible.

Day 1 Immanuel
Day 2 The Door
Day 3 The Vine
Day 4 The Giver of Living Water
Day 5 The Light of the World
Day 6 The Bright and Morning Star
Day 7 The Lion of Judah
Day 8 The Lamb of God
Day 9 The Good Shephard
Day 10 King of Kings and Lord of Lords
Day 11 The Bread of Life
Day 12 Savior
Day 13 Good News
Day 14 The Great High Priest
Day 15 Word
Day 16 Creator
Day 17 Truth
Day 18 Messiah
Day 19 Deliverer
Day 20 King of the Jews
Day 21 Cornerstone
Day 22 The Life
Day 23 Redeemer
Day 24 Mediator
Day 25 Jesus

Great thread MovieAristotle! (I was just thinking about doing one but was relieved to see that it had already been taken care of.)
25 days till Christmas, and my family has started the annual Christmas movie marathon! Recently watched A Christmas Without Snow, a lesser known Christmas movie that I think my family likes just because it's so true to life.
Happy Yuletide!

Way back in 2008 when I was new to NarniaWeb the Christmas thread had a list of 25 Christmasy questions, this is nearly the same list.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?
2. Real tree or Artificial?
3. When do you put up the tree?
4. When do you take the tree down?
5. Favorite gift received as a child?
6. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?
7. Hardest person to buy for?
8. Easiest person to buy for?
9. Mail or email Christmas cards?
10. When do you start shopping for Christmas?
11. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?
12. Favorite thing to eat during the Christmas season?
13. Lights on the tree?
14. Favorite ornament theme or color? Theme?
15. Angel on the tree top or a star?
16. Do you have a nativity?
17. Travel at Christmas or stay home?
18. Gifts in the stockings?
19. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?
20. Favorite part of Christmas dinner?
21. Do you like eggnog?
22. Favorite Christmas song?
23. Favorite Christmas movie?
24. Favorite Christmas book?
25. What do you want for Christmas this year?

I will return with my answers soon.
SnowAngel

1. Depends on the shape and size of the gift. Usually rectangular prisms are wrapped, and oddballs are bagged.
2. Real! Though we get ours from Lowes Home Improvement.
3. Just did tonight. Usually the first Saturday after Thanksgiving.
4. When we get around to it. Sometime after New Years Day.
5. This is so embarrassing, but I can't remember a single thing. The gifts that I DO remember are all birthday presents.
6. Underwear and socks
7. My brother
8. My kids
9. Mail. Way more personal.
10. When I was younger and had more time, I was usually done by the end of November. Now I don't start until after Thanksgiving and many things are purchased last minute. I hate doing it that way, but that's how life is right now.
11. I don't think I have, other than gift bags.
12. I have a Grasshopper Pie (that's chocolate and mint) that's pretty good and pretty popular.
13. Yep!
14. I'm not that creative. I just stick on whatever ornaments I have.
15. Both! My angel holds the star.
16. Yep, and the angel tree topper is part of that nativity. When the kids are older I'll put it under the tree, but for now it sits up high on my bookshelf.
17. All of the family is very close, so we travel every year, but it's only an hour away.
18. Usually our stockings are comprised of candies, coffees, and knickknacks.
19. Growing up we opened presents on Christmas Eve in the evening after church services, and then we opened our stockings Christmas morning. Now it just depends on where we are at the time.
20. Umm... eating?
21. I've never had the real thing. Making it is on my to-do list. I do like the store bought stuff once a year.
22. I can tell you that I hold the religious Christmas music in high regard, and the Winter Wonderland specials get old REALLY fast. I'm not too picky. Pentatonix's version of 'O Come All Ye Faithful' will be a favorite for a long, long time. Last year I discovered Chris Tomlin's Adore album, and I have a new favorite on there: 'He Shall Reign Forevermore.'
23. Muppet's Christmas Carol. #sorrynotsorry
24. Does 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' count?
25. A new can opener

Happy Christmas, everyone! Thanks, MA, for starting this festive topic!

Enjoy those memorable movies with your family, Cleander! Do you watch one a week, or so? One a day?

Your memories sound very special, Arwen_Daeneri31. Did you watch The Nutcracker live or on TV?
Oooh, a new puppy: how many years ago was that? Is he/she still with you?

I learned having Christmas with one or two family members is better than celebrating alone like I had done a few times it seems more merrier with parents around.

How very true that is, which makes our hearts go out to those who are lonely this year in our area, and try to make a difference in their lives so that these dear folk don't get overlooked.

I would like to explore a bit this year for Christmas that is something I have not tried.

Do let us know what that is, if that suits. Do you have something in mind at this point, or are you rather keeping a weather eye and ear open?

Love that list of names, fantasia ... now to add the Scriptures to match.

Great idea, SnowAngel, thanks for posting these fun questions!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Gift bags

2. Real tree or Artificial? Always a Real Tree: in fact, we are cutting it down this coming Saturday.

3. When do you put up the tree? Usually the first weekend in December

4. When do you take the tree down? We leave it up until it begins dying (losing a lot of needles ), which can be late into January.

5. Favorite gift received as a child? A White Christmas. But, hmm, in terms of packages under the tree, I really don't remember (being a kid for me was a long time ago ), but having the family all together has always been/is always the best gift.

6. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I don't ever recall one.

7. Hardest person to buy for? Probably my husband But we choose names in our nuclear family, so I only buy for him once in awhile now.

8. Easiest person to buy for? Our grown children

9. Mail or email Christmas cards? Definitely snail-mail: as fantasia said, it's so much more personal.

10. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Early in the Autumn; do it gradually, then it's done by late November, except for stocking gifts, which are mostly treats and readily available at our wonderful local Bulk Barn. We don't go anywhere near overboard at Christmas, so buying presents is a pleasure, not a stress.

11. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? I can't remember.

12. Favorite thing to eat during the Christmas season? Oh man, how do I choose? Maybe home-made meringues; also my chocolate mocha log; turkey; anything chocolate that is found in my stocking; our traditional cheese fondue

13. Lights on the tree? We have strings of white mini lights festooning many other places on our main floor, but for the tree, definitely coloured, and lots of them!

14. Favorite ornament theme or color? Theme? Probably the ones we were given in our first few years of marriage. No theme, just a special collection of over-all-the-years.

15. Angel on the tree top or a star? Star

16. Do you have a nativity? Yes! A really wonderful thornwood-carved set that I purchased (bartered for) myself when I lived in Nigeria for a few months back in the 1978. It's so unique and very dear to me. I will try and post a photo later.

17. Travel at Christmas or stay home? When we were first married, we would travel to one side of the family for Christmas Day; the other side a few days later; for the past many years, though, Christmas Day has been in our home.
For my extended side, we have our gathering the last Saturday of December on a farm at a halfway point;
for my hubby's extended side, we have celebrate with them already, as we always hold it (at our place) the 2nd or last Saturday of November.

18. Gifts in the stockings? Favourite edible treats, mostly, and some gift cards

19. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? When I was growing up, we were allowed to open one gift (usually from a family friend) on Christmas Eve; now, it's all Christmas morning, our 'schedule' being:
*open stockings in our PJs
*read the Christmas story from the Bible (the reason for the season!)
*have an easy and light breakfast, mainly because we are quite full from snacking on our stocking treats
*open our gifts together: we take time with this, as we focus on each person as they open, with lots of rabbit trail discussions and fun!
*continue prepping for the upcoming feast!

20. Favorite part of Christmas dinner? Being together for a few days, with nothing to do but ... be together (the many conversations, board games, so much fun, excellent food, going on walks)

21. Do you like eggnog? Nope, but the rest of my family does.

22. Favorite Christmas song? Too many to mention.

23. Favorite Christmas movie? I'm not really into movies, so I dunno.

24. Favorite Christmas book?
*A Christmas Carol (Charles Dickens)
*LWW (Uh, I wonder who)
*Letters from Father Christmas (J.R.R. Tolkien)
*The Little Match Girl (Hans Christian Anderson) - so very heart-breaking, but so very beautiful; and the illustrated book we had as children was gorgeous.
*And for more beauty of illustration and music in the short film, The Snowman by Raymond Briggs.

25. What do you want for Christmas this year?
*my family all home (which they will be)
*an organized and easy-to-access system in which to store all the sheet music that is piling up around our house
*Tolkien calendar (Alan Lee's artwork), 2020
*and ... chocolate!

1. I prefer wrapping paper but the present is what's important.

2. I much prefer real trees but I have been considering getting a fake tree because other people in my family complain about real ones.

3. As soon as I get one.

4. When I feel like it.

5. I got a lot of great gifts as a child. One of them was the complete Chronicles of Narnia. Another one was the movie, A Boy Named Charlie Brown.

6. I keep even less track of that than the best ones.

7. I have a hard time buying for anyone. I don't pay enough attention to anyone to know what they'd like half the time.

8. I once made cookie dough for my grandmother and she liked it so much I make it for her every year. She hasn't complained so far. This year however, I'm going to give her a DVD, the 2018 adaptation of Little Women, set in modern times. https://www.amazon.com/Little-Women-Sar ... 224&sr=8-1 It's based on one of her favorite books and I don't think anyone else will buy it for her.

9. I don't send cards out myself much at all. But if I did, it'd be cards.

10. The beginning of December. I usually have some idea of what to get for people by then.

11. Not that I remember.

12. Swedish Snowballs.

13. Yes.

14. Someone once gave my family a snowman family ornament modeled after our family.

15. Star but I don't have a problem with angels.

16. Yes. It's wooden and it doesn't have any colors or facial expressions but I'm attached to it.

17. Stay home at Christmas but shortly after I go to a family reunion for my father's side. This year, it's actually being held in my neighborhood.

18. Starbursts.

19. Traditionally, my family opens most of them on Christmas Eve and a few small ones on Christmas Morning.

20. My grandmother usually comes to my family's house on Christmas Eve and she brings these great cookies. Can't remember what they're called or I'd say.

21. Oh yeah! It's like melted ice cream. I don't have it with alcohol in it though.

22. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing. (Does Linus and Lucy count as a Christmas song? )

23. There are a lot of Christmas movies I really like but I'm not sure if anyone's my favorite. (It'd be easier to pick a favorite Christmas special.)

24. If you're hoping for some Christmas books that you haven't heard of before, I'm afraid I can't help. I love the famous ones. A Christmas Carol. How the Grinch Stole Christmas. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. The only obscure one I'd consider a favorite is Jingle Bells, Batman Smells P.S. So Does May by Barbara Park.

25. I'd love the book, Barfeface: A Guide to C. S. Lewis's Last Novel by Doris T. Myers. The google books preview was great. But it's fairly expensive so I'm not getting my hopes up.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper, I like opening boxes.
2. Real tree or Artificial? I love real trees, they make the house smell so good. However we have a artificial tree that went up with just the lights before Thanksgiving.
3. When do you put up the tree? This year the tree was up the week before Thanksgiving, but not decorated until November 29.
4. When do you take the tree down? Sometime after January 6 and before Easter. The last couple years we changed the ornaments and tree skirt after January 6th to blue, silver, and gold for winter, so it kinda depends on the weather when the tree will come down.
5. Favorite gift received as a child? Either my first doll at age 1 1/2 or my first newsboy cap as a teen.
6. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I haven't meet a present I didn't enjoy.
7. Hardest person to buy for? My older brother.
8. Easiest person to buy for? Everyone else in my family, especially now that my dad will drink coffee.
9. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail, email is for the rest of the year.
10. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Early in the fall. The last couple of years I have done most of my shopping online at BRCC on Thanksgiving Day, it's hard to go wrong with coffee.
11. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Only if cutting something up and making into something new counts. My sister likes to take wornout sweaters apart and make them into scarves, hoods, and fingerless mitts.
12. Favorite thing to eat during the Christmas season? Sugar cookies with lots of sprinkles.
13. Lights on the tree? I love colored, but this year we have white. The colored lights are scattered around the house in other rooms, so the white on the tree really pops in the living room.
14. Favorite ornament theme or color? I love the sparkly silver ornaments and anything shiny or with bells on it. The theme on our tree this year is bright, shiny, and sparkly with everything set off by the white lights.
15. Angel on the tree top or a star? Actually this year we have a sparkly silver bow and it's lovely. Last year we had a star, but it looks a bit worse for wear.
16. Do you have a nativity? A bunch. There is one in the kitchen, one on the floor by the tree, one in the family room, and several more scattered around.
17. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Home.
18. Gifts in the stockings? Lots of little stuff: chocolate bar (my favorite); socks; chapstick; toothpaste and toothbrush; hair things, jewelry, and makeup for the girls; manly hair gel, mini flashlights, and the like for the boys, and whatever else my mom finds through out the year. One of my brothers loves ketchup, so he has gotten a bottle of ketchup in his stocking the last couple of years.
19. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? One present on Christmas Eve usually something to wear on Christmas Day, on Christmas morning after everyone is the living room we open the stockings, break for breakfast and coffee, then we gather in the living room again and open the clothing (we always get our winter clothes for Christmas, a tradition all, but one family member loves) and other gifts.
20. Favorite part of Christmas dinner? Since we don't have a menu plan yet, I'm not sure which food will be my favorite. I do love just being together as a family.
21. Do you like eggnog? Yes and no, I really liked it as a kid, but now it doesn't really matter to me whether we have it or not.
22. Favorite Christmas song? My absolute favorite is What Child Is This?, but I have a long list of favorites. I love Hark The Herald Angels Sing (with the fourth verse);
Immanuel, Unto Us A Son Is Given, Thou The Promise, and We Will Find Him by Michael Card;
Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silent;
Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus;
O Come, O Come Emmanuel;
Hey Moon, Because It's Christmas, and Hope Was Born This Night by Sidewalk Prophets;
He Who Is Mighty, One Still Night, and Prepare Him Room by Sovereign Grace Music. Just to name a few.
23. Favorite Christmas movie? We're No Angels (1955), Stalag 17 (1953), and The Nativity Story (2006)
24. Favorite Christmas book? Novel: One Shenedoah Winter by Davis Bunn; kids' books: The Crippled Lamb by Max Lucado and The Biggest, Most Beautiful Christmas Tree by Amye Rosenberg. (No, I do not do singular favorites like ever.)
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? A 50mm Canon lens, an essential oil diffuser, Shadow Maker by James R. Hannibal, dark chocolate, and coffee.

I love the whole Christmas season; the music, the shopping for gifts and wrapping them, the foods, decorating the house, and the family time. I started listening to instrumental Christmas music in September, it was a crazy month and Christmas music is relaxing. I'm not tired of it either.

SnowAngel

@johobbit: Actually we do about 4 movies a week! We even drew up an official list of the movies that we ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO WATCH this Christmas, and it's pretty long, so we have a lot of territory to cover over the next month.
@SnowAngel: thanks for posting these questions! I may not answer all of them at once, but I'll do some here.
1. Wrapping paper. At least for Christmas.
2. I prefer artificial, really. As long as it's lifelike and doesn't shed needles like a real one does...
3. The DAY AFTER THANKSGIVING!! (We're usually quite eager to get started with Christmas around here. )
4. January 1st.
5. As a child? Hmmm.... well, I guess the enormous Lego castle I got when I was 12 is up there at the top, (it kind of helped kick off my lasting obsession with all things medieval) but I'll probably think of something better later. If we count 16 as childhood, I also greatly appreciated the William Wallace sword I got that Christmas.
(I'm noticing a pattern with the nature of my favorite gifts here.... )
6. Oh boy. I have a lot I remember getting that I didn't love, (socks and underwear, etc.) but I can't seem to think of one that I absolutely hated. Or maybe I'm just being nice just in case someone I know should just randomly read this.
7. My oldest brother.
8. All my nephews!
9.Mail.
10. I bought my first Christmas gift in late November. I usually buy the rest in a steadily increasing panic as the day of Christmas draws near.

Christmas is coming! I love Christmas, it's my second favorite holiday (Second only to Easter)

fantasia, I think that's really cool that you are studying the different names of Jesus with your kids for Christmas. That's quiet an impressive list.

So, questions...

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper, mainly because I just love the process of wrapping a gift

2. Real tree or Artificial? I prefer a real tree, but now that I live in Africa it's artificial tree for me.

3. When do you put up the tree? I used to do it the 1st of December. This year I moved locations again, so I've got to buy one. I hope to get around to it next week.

4. When do you take the tree down? Usually after Russian Christmas and before Russian Ephipany, so between January 8th and 19th

5. Favorite gift received as a child? Hmmmm...I can't seem to remember

6. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Well, last year I got nothing for Christmas I suppose that counts

7. Hardest person to buy for? My dad! He always says he doesn't want anything and he doesn't need anything and it's soooo difficult to come up with a gift he won't end up putting on his shelf and forgetting about.

8. Easiest person to buy for? My fiance. He's a real practical sort of guy so practical gifts are just the thing.

9. Mail or email Christmas cards? I used to mail them, but now that I live in Africa I prefer to email, at least I know it will actually get there.

10. When do you start shopping for Christmas? First or second week of December (though sometimes I get certain gifts in advance)

11. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Not that I can remember

12. Favorite thing to eat during the Christmas season? Christmas cookies

13. Lights on the tree? Always! I prefer colorful lights, it's nostalgic for me from my childhood. I like white light on the windows

14. Favorite ornament theme or color? Theme? Red and green and a bit of gold and white. (And nothing plastic!)

15. Angel on the tree top or a star? Angel. I have a tradition to make a new angel for the tree every Christmas.

16. Do you have a nativity? Not since I moved to Africa If my budget allows I'd like to find a handcrafted wooden one here. Otherwise else I'll make one myself.

17. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home

18. Gifts in the stockings? Never did it at home, this year I want to do it though.

19. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? It used to be Christmas Eve when I lived with my family. But now I open them on Boxing Day.

20. Favorite part of Christmas dinner? Roast chicken! And the desserts, I have a terrible sweet tooth.

21. Do you like eggnog? Yes.

22. Favorite Christmas song? My Favorite Christmas Album is Christmas Offerings by Third Day. I also love There's a New Kid in Town by Keith Whitely. My favorite Christmas Carols are: It Came Upon a Midnight Clear, Star in the East, and Ding Dong Merrily on High.

23. Favorite Christmas movie? It's a Wonderful Life and The Preacher's Wife. I'm also terribly addicted to Hallmark Christmas Movies.

24. Favorite Christmas book?
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Beggar Boy at Christ's Christmas Tree, (also known as The Heavenly Christmas Tree) by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.
Christ As the Guest of a Man and The Wild Beast by Nikolai Leskov.

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? The best thing for me would be that the hunger stricken regions in Zambia will get food this holiday season. That would really make my Christmas.
(For myself I'd love to get the complete collection of Roald Dahl Children's books in book form. I've been wanting that for a long time.)

My mom really likes Hallmark Christmas movie too, wild rose.

My sister-in-law is a big fan of the Hallmark Christmas movies as well; she's been known to DVR them for later viewing. She even worked at the local Hallmark store for a time.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?
It depends on the gift. I'm notoriously bad at gift wrapping, however, and the bags can be reused, so...

2. Real tree or Artificial?
We grew up with artificial trees, for several reasons, but I enjoy the smell and feel of a real one.

3. When do you put up the tree?
After Thanksgiving! (When I was growing up it was on my dad's birthday, December 18. That sounds ridiculously late by current standards, but this was before "Christmas creep" was invented. )

4. When do you take the tree down?
Early in the New Year unless the tree dried out too much.

5. Favorite gift received as a child?
Probably the Sears 3-inch reflecting telescope from the very early 1970s.

6. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?
Nothing comes to mind.

7. Hardest person to buy for?
From my youth, probably my dad. He always said he didn't need anything, and while buying new tools for him would be a good fit, he did seem to have everything he needed.

8. Easiest person to buy for?
My younger brother. He's really into sports (especially baseball), and there's no shortage of things to buy in that category.

9. Mail or email Christmas cards?
Mail; there's just something about having something you can hold in your hands. But I wouldn't begrudge friends who send an email version.

10. When do you start shopping for Christmas?
After Thanksgiving, though I may buy something at any time of the year if it strikes me as a great gift idea.

11. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?
Not that I recall.

12. Favorite thing to eat during the Christmas season?
All of it! Turkey, the fixings, pies and desserts and cookies, oh my!

13. Lights on the tree?
Yes, colored ones.

14. Favorite ornament theme or color? Theme?
Nothing definite here.

15. Angel on the tree top or a star?
Angel.

16. Do you have a nativity?
I have one my brother gave to me some years back. Growing up, we had a very simple ceramic set my parents bought very shortly after they were married in 1950. It has a lot of sentimental value!

17. Travel at Christmas or stay home?
Yes.

18. Gifts in the stockings?
Stocking stuffers...

19. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?
As kids we opened gifts Christmas Eve and the stockings Christmas morning. The gifts were understood to be from others while the stockings were from Santa. I think this is a good way to teach kids about giving while still allowing the mystery of Santa.

20. Favorite part of Christmas dinner?
The anticipation...a house full of family and friends and wonderful aromas.

21. Do you like eggnog?
Yes, though we usually dilute it with milk.

22. Favorite Christmas song?
Hard to choose a favorite, though I favor those that mention the reason for the season rather than "secular" ones. A few exceptions to that might be "White Christmas" and "Christmas Pipes" (by Celtic Woman).

23. Favorite Christmas movie?
It's hard to choose, but Holiday Inn is on the short list.

24. Favorite Christmas book?
Can't go wrong with A Christmas Carol.

25. What do you want for Christmas this year?
Time with friends and family.

My sister-in-law is a big fan of the Hallmark Christmas movies as well; she's been known to DVR them for later viewing.

I do the same thing so my sisters, mom, and I can watch the movies relatively commercial free, Hallmark movies are impossible to watch otherwise. We've watched about half of the new Christmas movies for the year, our favorites thus far have been Merry & Bright and Holiday Hearts. I had high hopes (that is as high as one's hopes can get for a Hallmark film which really is not all that high) for Holiday For Heroes, but it was rather flat. I much preferred rewatching Christmas Homecoming.

I currently waiting to make my Christmas toffee until after a sibling gets braces off in a couple weeks, which means in the meantime I'm on the lookout for some other Keto candy recipes to try that aren't hard or nutty.

For Christmas cookie baking thus far we have only had Christmas cookie sticks with ganache. And they didn't last long enough for any photo evidence to be taken.

SnowAngel

I got my son a whittling knife and kevlar gloves for Christmas. Hopefully I don't regret this.