Christmas in North Dakota

Liss from A Memory Forever and I were chatting via email the other day about how different Christmas is in each of our climes. She's in Australia where they celebrate Christmas in the middle of summer with BBQs and really warm weather - and I'm in North Dakota with lots of snow and this year a Christmas blizzard...

...so we decided to do a couple of comparison posts about Christmas here and there...

...Some things are different - but the spirit of Christmas is the same...

1.Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
Either one as long as it's VEGAN...














2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?

Santa definitely wraps - and all of Santa's presents are wrapped in GOLD...this year's hiding place - the corner of my quiltling closet covered with cloth and batting...

3. Coloured lights on tree/house or white?

...All vintage coloured lights - the big bulb kind - given to us the year we married by the Man's Mom...

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
Yep, We bought one of the freeze dried packages years ago and we hang it in the archway between the kitchen and living room every year - it's amazing that it holds up so well...

5. When do you put your decorations up?
...
The day after Thanksgiving we get the tree and then we decorate it that weekend...

6. What is your favourite holiday dish?
Probably Angel Biscuits...

7. Favourite Holiday memory as a child?

One year when my baby brother was about 3 or 4 - for some reason he was sort of 'pitching a fit' to get to open his presents - and I remember being surprised that my parents 'caved' - Daddy took the little Fisher Price garage out on the front porch and knocked and I think he even rang the little bell on the elevator on the toy - we all made a big deal about Santa being out there - and he happily played with his new garage the rest of the evening.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
My Daddy sat at the kitchen table when I was about 5 and told me that Santa was a good spirit and everyone 'could' be Santa - it really opened up a whole new world for me as I imagined each person acting the part of Santa...

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
YES - but only one - and Scout gets to pick which one...remember - Santa's GOLD presents haven't arrived yet...

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?
First we string out all the lights and replace any that don't work ... then Scout and the Man put those on the tree ... then I drag out 4 bins full of individually packaged ornaments - and we go through all of those and ooh and aaah over each one and remember when we got it and from whom then Scout and I put those on the tree and last of all Scout puts on the topper


11. Snow! Love it or Dread it?

LOVE IT!!! You just about have to in North Dakota - We're supposed to get over a foot of the white stuff this weekend...

12. Can you ice skate?

YEP - I live in North Dakota - and I don't know anyone here who can't ice skate...
but I knew even before we moved here as there was a rink and even a pro hockey team in Columbia SC...

13. Do you remember your favourite gift?
They're all my favorites...

14. What’s the most important thing about the Holidays for you?
Definitely spending time with family...

15. What is your favourite Holiday Dessert?

That's got to be Pumpkin PIE...

16. What is your favourite holiday tradition? The Candlelight Service at Church...

17. What tops your tree?

...

A vintage hand blown glass tree topper...

18. Which do you prefer giving or Receiving?

Definitely giving - I love to make and choose and wrap presents...

19. Candy Canes: Yuck or Yum?
YUM - Mom always sends Scout one of the big ones for me to put in his stocking - I can't seem to find those up here...

20. Favourite Christmas Show?

Need I tell you all again about SCROOGE...