In the spirit of having a little Christmas fun and introducing you to our authors in a different way, Joey prepared five Christmas questions for our contributors to answer.  This was a last minute effort so not all of them are represented, but you’ll get to know a few of them just a bit more. If you can’t recall who is writing the answers, just check out the Contributor section on the front page navigation.  If you “hover” your mouse over the photos, you can then click any of the information about them, including a locator link for their work.  Enjoy the banter…enjoy the Day!

1. What is your favorite Christmas song?

Julie-Christmas music drives me insane unless it’s Bruce Springsteen or something else from A Very Special Christmas.

Jani-“Here Comes Santa Claus” by Gene Autry

Whitni- Carol of the Bells

Kendy-  I never met a Christmas song I didn’t like, but I think I’m partial to “O Holy Night.”

Kelly- Bing Crosby’s “It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas,” played on a record player with a slightly scratchy quality.

Jennifer-My favorite Christmas song is “O Holy Night” by Martina McBride. That girl has some pipes!

Joey- I have a lot of favorites, for the past few years though I think “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” as sung by Barenaked Ladies has been my favorite. I love songs that tell the Christmas story in them.

Rob- O Come, O Come Emmanuel – maybe not mainstream, but my favorite hymn.  If this isn’t sung at Christmas Eve service, I’m very disappointed.

2. What is your favorite family Christmas tradition?

Julie- We play Bingo with a theme of gifts up for grabs. The Wine Gift theme was especially fun.

Jani- Cooking fondue on Christmas Eve

Whini– A few years ago, when our immediate family started expanding, (when we started having Christmas in TN) instead of having a big meal we have fondue on Christmas Eve… Mom has acquired quite a few fondue pots!

Kendy- Going to church on Christmas Eve and then getting the milk and cookies ready for Santa. All seems right with the world on Christmas Eve.

Kelly- Cold sparkling cider in depression glasses for Christmas morning breakfast or dinner; and cracking corny jokes about stocking stuffers.

Jennifer-My family always reads “The Night Before Christmas” together in our jammies on Christmas Eve. Then, we talk about the real meaning of Christmas and tell the story of Jesus’ birth.

Joey- At some point Christmas week we will make cookies and decorate them. My favorite part about this is that there are no rules in my house when it comes to cookie décor, so if you want to build a sugar cookie robot with 4 cups of frosting and an entire jar of sprinkles….that’s fine. We make a huge mess, it’s a lot of fun.

Rob- Going to candlelight service on Christmas Eve at 11pm and looking at lights on the way to church.

3. When does the tree go up? When does it come down?

Julie-The tree goes up whenever I get to it. It comes down whenever I get to it.

Jani-Normally I try to put the tree up as close to Thanksgiving as possible and leave it up until New Years Day.  This year I finally got it up and decorated on Dec. 21 and most likely will take it down on New Years Day.

Whitni- – oh goodness, my tree went up a few days after Thanksgiving and will come down before New Years… The family one could go up and down at any time

Kendy-My son’s birthday is December 1st, so we always have the tree up by then.  It comes down about the 2nd week of January.

Kelly-This year? Last week. It’s never the same.  Coming down? Jan. 2nd, or when it’s too dry to be safe – whichever comes first.

Jennifer- When does the tree go up? The tree went up late this year (well into December) but hopefully in the future, it will go up right around Thanksgiving. When does it come down? I am trying to talk myself into waiting until after New Year’s but I’m not sure it’s working. We got a real one this year so I don’t want to wait until it’s too dry.

Joey- I have a tree up year round that gets decorated differently each month. The Christmas decorations go up on the day after Thanksgiving, they come off on New Years Eve because the January tree will get decorated on January 1^st.

Rob- It seems to go up later and later every year (mom and dad procrastinate), it comes down about a week after New Year’s

4. When do you open the presents?

Julie-We used to open presents from each other on Christmas Eve and wait for Santa to bring us something special on Christmas day. Without kids around the only present that makes it under our tree is a gift for my stepson who has a Christmas Eve birthday.

Jani- We open presents on Christmas Eve after we eat Fondue!

Whitni- We have always opened everything on Christmas Eve, when we were younger we were even known to open a week or two early before we went to see family. We still get up early on Christmas morning and look at our stockings and see what Santa brought.

Kendy-We open some Christmas Eve with my husband’s extended family. Then comes Santa Christmas morning, followed by a celebration with Jason’s parents and travel to my childhood home for gifts with my side of the family.

Kelly- Over the course of about a week prior to or after Christmas, depending upon who we’re visiting.

Jennifer- We open family presents on Christmas Eve and Santa presents on Christmas morning. Preferably after 8 am if we can hold off the young ‘uns. My husband and I are both terrible at waiting to give each other stuff so we usually give each other our gifts early….like 5 minutes after we buy them.

Joey- On Christmas Eve we open our traditional Christmas Pajamas, everything else is on Christmas day. Stockings first and then everyone takes turns opening presents.

Rob- Christmas Day – stockings first in the family room, everyone opens at the same time, then into the formal living room where dad hands out presents one at time.

5. What is the best thing about the Christmas season?

Julie- Two weeks of vacation.

Jani- Having all my kids home for Christmas.

Whitni-  I love giving more than anything! I give throughout the year but the Christmas season gets me going even more.

Kendy- I think both Thanksgiving and Christmas allow us to suspend time for just a moment and focus wholeheartedly on our loved ones.  Further, the holidays are overflowing with visible and tangible manifestations of God’s love, which gives me a renewed faith in humanity!

Kelly- Music, candles, peace, quiet, family, friends, and NO WORK!
P.S.  Sweet little baby Jesus ~ ~ his birth was a good, good thing.

Jennifer- The best thing about the Christmas season is spending time with my family and having fun just being together.

Joey- We are all home for a full week together. Nobody goes to work, nobody goes to school, nobody stays over at their friend’s house….the whole family is home and we can hang out together watching movies, making messes with cookies and listening to records. I love my family, they’re my favorite people ever.

Rob- Being home without a doubt, and being close to family.  Being in a place where you can appreciate the traditions, and being reminded of what Christ did for us when he came to earth.

Please feel free to share some of YOUR answers to these questions if you’re reading the RDC today.  If not, we’re just glad you had some down time.  Peace!

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