A Christmas Tag

From Cindy at Notes in the Key of Life:

1.What is your one favorite dish to see on the table at Christmas dinner?
sweet potato casserole

2.Do you have a Nativity scene or a creche? How many pieces does it have?
I have a beautiful Fontanini set that I leave out year-round. I have several pieces (not really wanting to count them...), but there are many, many more available. I just don't have room for them all. Well, maybe I do have room for a few more... I could clear the few books off that bottom shelf and put a second grouping of pieces there. I'd love to have the wise men and the camels. Maybe I'll put that on next year's wish list - unless I can find a good sale!

3.What is your favorite Christmas movie?
A Christmas Story, followed closely by Christmas Vacation. More of a modern traditionalist approach. I like some of the old b&w classics, but they just aren't my favorites.

4.If you and your family could spend this Christmas in another country, where would you go?
Greece. I just want to go there anyway, but I think it would be wonderful to see what Christmas in a Greek Orthodox church is like.

5.Does your grandmother usually knit you something for Christmas, or does she give you something different — say, a Wii?
Both of my grandmothers are in heaven. Mamaw would sometimes give me something handmade (I remember getting Barbie clothes from her a lot when I was little.), but sometimes I'd get things she'd bought from infomercials. Memaw always bought us different kinds of things.

6.Have you ever gone out of the house wearing a reindeer headband? What about a Santa hat?
No, I don't believe I have. I wouldn't mind wearing a Santa hat one day...

7.Do you usually make or buy your Christmas gifts?
It's usually a combination of both. I've made afghans for almost everyone in my family. All the ladies have gotten handmade jewelry and crocheted scarves. My parents and my in-laws received scrapbooks I made of the boys one year. I even wrote a poem for my mom one year and framed it with a buffalo nickel. (The poem was about my grandfather's buffalo nickels that she had found and spent when she was a little girl.)

8.When do you set up your Christmas decorations? When do you take them down?
We usually start decorating shortly after Thanksgiving, though we've been as late as 2 weeks before Christmas. Things usually come down the week after Christmas, but last year I left everything up for our New Year's Day party. I think I'll do that again this year.

9.What kind of activities does your church usually have at Christmas?
Lighting Advent candles each Sunday, Christmas Eve services, community outreach projects for each of the adult Sunday school classes to participate in

10.Did you ever believe in Santa Claus as a child?
I don't know if I really believed in him or not, but I played along. It's fun to take part in the tradition, and it irks me when people are radically anti-Santa because they think it's a lie.

11.Which of the Gospels gives your favorite account of the Christmas story?
Luke

12.Have you ever acted in a Christmas pageant? What part did you play?
I don't remember; childhood was a long time ago. :o)

13.Do you buy Christmas presents for your pets?
I probably have once or twice, but it's not something I generally do.