I'm not a "traditional" person by any means, unless we're talking about what goes on my plate during Thanksgiving dinner. To that end, I would say that I have no traditions that I follow during the Christmas season, save one - I have to buy Holiday Custard the very moment it comes out.
My Grandmama used to call it "boiled custard" and it's the one Christmas/Holiday drink that I have enjoyed since I was a child. I can't stand Egg Nog or Apple Cider, as both equally nasty, regardless of how much bourbon you add to them.
2. Favorite Elf
Unless we're talking about Lord Of The Rings, I've got nothing. And don't bother trying to make me watch that horrible Will Ferrell film. He's funny within a specific frame, but that movie is beyond pointless and horrible.
3. Santa or Mrs. Claus
Did I believe either one existed, I would have to say Mrs. Claus. I chose her only because I have this image of the "hot woman" marrying the "fat man" - a la far too many sit-coms over the last 10 years.
4: Favorite Reindeer
Honestly never had one - not even as a child. I never really went crazy over the whole "Rudolf" thing, save the fact that we used to be able to get these "beanie baby" type things at Hallmark during Christmas when I was a kid. The "Rudolf" one was kind of interesting, but the magic of it wore off pretty fast.
5. Favorite Holiday Snack
I really love taking pieces of "white meat" turkey and thick slices of refrigerated dressing and putting them on two pieces of toasted bread and then covering them in what's left of the giblet gravy and popping it in the microwave. Very tasty.
6. Favorite Decoration
My Darth Vader ornament. It's probably the greatest piece for a Christmas tree ever. Movable light-saber, 5 quote audio track and all.
7. Favorite Christmas Movie
The first would have to be "A Christmas Story".
Sure, it could be considered the "safe" answer amongst people of my generation - though there would likely be those that would cite "It's A Wonderful Life" or "Miracle on 34th Street" more to sound like intellectual movie buffs rather than being honest about what they would prefer to see during Christmas - but I've always identified with the various quirks of Ralphie's family, as this very story could have been my life, had it been set in the early to mid 80s.
But there are other films centered around Christmas that I think would qualify for my list:
- Bad Santa
- Die Hard
- Scrooged
- Serendipity
8. Favorite Christmas Song
I cannot stand traditional Christmas music.
I can recall having to tolerate my mother playing Perry Como records during the Holidays when I was a child and realizing that these songs were not only annoying, but poorly produced and executed.
But here's some Christmas music I can really get into
- Bob and Doug - 12 Days of Christmas
- And as much as I can't stand traditional Christmas tunes, it's never officially Christmas until I hear "The Boss'" version of Santa Clause is Coming to Town on the radio.......and those years are becoming few and far between
- This was always such a fun track to hear during Christmas, and one of the signifiers that RUN DMC could bridge the gap between forward thinking hip-hop and broadly accepted pop without selling their souls. There's not a Christmas like one in Hollis Queens.
9. Favorite Christmas TV Special
- A Charlie Brown Christmas
10. Favorite Thing To Wear
- So long as I have my Echo hoodie and reversable jackets when it's cold then I don't care one bit. You'll never find me in a Cosby sweater, that's for sure.
11. Favorite Christmas Book
I recall reading C.S. Lewis' Chronicle of Narnia when I was in middle school but that's about as close to a "holiday book" that I ever read - although I did read "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" after seeing it on TV when I was a kid. To that end, I have no favorite as I don't feel one exists.
12. Favorite Gift You Ever Got
There have been many gifts I have gotten over my life, but the one Christmas that will always stay with me is the year that I got these two gifts - yeah, I know it says just one: A Muppets drumset and the Millinium Falcon.
It was 1979 - I think - and we lived with my grandmother while our house was being built. I can still recall walking into the living room and seeing the drum set and the Star Wars toys already set up.
The downfall of this was that the "drum skins" were paper and didn't last but a week, considering the fact that I wanted to do my best Animal impersonation.
13. How Early Do You Get Up on December 25th
Considering the fact that I have kids of my own now, we are up before the sun comes up.
14. How Late Do You Stay Up on December 24th
In full reference to the above question, as long as it takes to put toys together - provided there is anything that needs assembly.
15. Favorite Christmas Picture
The cover to Spectacular Spiderman #112 - always has been.
16. Anticipation or the Day
Playing with the kids and their toys and lots of turkey, dressing, and cranberry sauce coupled with the dry wit and stories of my cousin Joey - should he actually make it up from Texas each year.
17. Do You Believe In Santa
I've never really considered Santa to be real, regardless of how much I dug wondering what I would get each year, as my family life and discovery of far too many things early on made considering whether or not Santa was real or not a lesser concern.
18. Are You Sad?
Only that I can't spend Christmas with my Dad anymore.
19. Favorite Part of the Season?
When it's over.
Sure, that's likely the Scrooge in my coming out, but the overt commercialism, the stress of dealing with most of your family, the preperations, and all the other work that goes into Christmas isn't missed once you've taken the tree and all the decorations down, put all the presents away, and cleaned up from the various meals.
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