The Christmas Tag [027]

Thank you Laura from Five Little Doves for nominating me to take part in The Christmas Tag. Here’s our take on Christmas – being a multi-cultural family living in the UK, I’m not sure we still have figured out ‘how we do Christmas’, considering we don’t celebrate the religious side of things!

What’s your favourite Christmas movie?

I don’t even know if this counts, but for The Husband and I nothing marks the Christmas holidays like Trading Places. It’s a super favourite we both grew up with, even though, believe it or not, I didn’t get to watch the original version until my mid-twenties, having grown up watching it dubbed in Italian!

And if that doesn’t count, then it has to be Home Alone! When he was little my brother was identical to Macaulay Culkin!

Have you ever had a White Christmas?

Growing up in Italy, as a child, yes, loads! Now not so much, but we had one a couple of years ago (I think it was Christmas 2013?), and I’m glad my children got to experience a white Christmas too! Hopefully, there will be more!

Where do you usually spend your holidays?

We normally spend the Christmas holidays in Italy, at my parents’. This is the third Christmas in my 36 years that I’m not spending in Italy with my parents. I only missed two ever – Christmas 2008 and Christmas 2011, on the account of my sons being newborn babies then, so I didn’t feel like jumping on a plane yet.

This year it’s on the account of my leg not being fully healed, so we’ll stay put. And with a few days to go, I still have no idea how we’re going to do Christmas. We are not on our own, as thankfully The Husband’s family only lives around the corner, so we know we’ll have a great day with them, but we are totally improvising!

What is your favourite Christmas song?

I would have given you a different answer had you asked me a few months ago, but seeing that my Little Guy has been bombarding me with version of ‘Mee Mee Mosh’ (i.e. Jingle Bells!), I’m going to have to say Jingle Bells! If you wanted an adult song, there is no such thing in my life anymore!

Do you open any presents on Christmas Eve?

Nope – always opened them on Christmas Day. The grown up’s normally wait until after lunch, but since having young children, obviously they get opened earlier in the morning!

Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer?

Ehm. I could Google them. But that would be cheating. And cheating isn’t very Christmassy, is it? Dixen, Vixen… Rudolph! I know Rudolph! Again, growing up in Italy, I had NO IDEA that the reindeer even had names! Shocking, I know.

Which holiday traditions are you looking forward to this year?

Seeing that it feels like we have to make some new traditions this year, I’m not sure what we’re actually going to do. But there are a few things I’m sure about:

1) the children will be opening their presents in the morning;

2) we will be eating a lot, with family; and

3) I will be enjoying a very Italian pandoro, which my parents brought a couple of weeks ago from Italy! Yes, I know you can buy it from Tesco (and I do have a Tesco version too, don’t worry!)

Is your Christmas tree real or fake?

Always been fake. Never had a real Christmas tree. I’m missing out, aren’t I?

What is your favourite holiday treat/sweet/food?

It has to be pandoro – after all, you only eat it once a year! This year I’ll be missing out on the savoury panettone that my mum and aunts make for Christmas Eve dinner – it’s a panettone cut in horizontal layers and filled with tuna, cheese or salmon spread! It’s yummy!

Be honest, do you prefer giving or receiving gifts?

Giving! And to be fair in our family we only generally give gifts to the children – the adults tend to buy their own things as and when they want them! And I’d rather get something in random February if I feel like it, then get things I don’t really need for the sake of it. The Husband and I are really not up for ‘presents for presents’ sake’ – I know we’re a bit odd like that! But giving to the children, and seeing how happy they are when they open them is the best thing.

What is the best Christmas present that you have ever received?

We’re going back a little here, but it’ll have to be the Barbie house that I had asked for like a million times – I don’t even remember when that was, but I’ll always remember getting it and playing with it for ages! I still remember the details of it!

What would be your dream place to visit for the holiday season?

It’d be super-weird to have a hot Christmas, I’m sure, but we’d love to spend one in one of the Carribbean islands or in Mauritius even! Somewhere hot and amazingly beautiful. I’m sure it wouldn’t really feel like Christmas, but it’d certainly be an experience!

Are you a pro wrapper or do you fail miserably?

I think I’m quite good at wrapping – I quite enjoy it, and if I can I’ll do it properly!

Most memorable Christmas moment?

There isn’t a moment I can single out actually, but the best memories I have of Christmas are of when I was little, and we used to spend Christmas with my maternal grandparents. We’d spend the afternoon laughing and playing cards. It was great!

What made you realise the truth about Santa?

I was told at school, and I didn’t want to believe it! I must have been about 8 or 9. A ‘friend’ told me in school, but I didn’t want to believe her, so I went back home and went on a hunt for Christmas presents. I did find them hiding in my parents’ wardrobe and was so upset! But for some reason I decided not to say anything to them (or my younger brother!) and carried on pretending I didn’t know anything about it. I wish she hadn’t ruined it for me!

What makes the holidays special for you?

It’s normally a time we spend back home with my family, and it’s lovely. This year, after spending over 3 months being unable to walk, I’m truly looking forward to a completely different Christmas, with some time to spend mainly just with the 5 of us. We’ll sit down on Friday night and make a list of the things we all want to do together, and hopefully tick them off until the 3rd of January when The Husband is back at work!

I nominate Alex from Better Together Home, Vikki from Mum Times Two, Laura from Wafflemama, Jade from Mummies Waiting, Becky from Little, Big & Me, and Hayley from Devon Mama to take part in the Christmas tag, and for now, Merry Christmas to you all!