Well, that's Christmas done for another year. I have some leftover ham in the fridge and half a cassata sitting in the freezer, and that is my Christmas commitments done for the year. Now, as it;'s Boxing Day (or St Stephen's Day as Blarney calls it) I've been for a walk and I've been to the cinema and life is fine.
Now it's time for the Sunday questions, provided as always, by Bev at Sunday Stealing.
1. What’s the most important thing about the holidays for you?
Getting some time off to relax. The thing about Christmas in Australia is that everything shuts down on Christmas Eve and nothing really starts up again until the 15th of January. This year, I have the three days off between Christmas and New Year, giving me 10 days off work. And I really, really need this.
2. What’s the most annoying thing about this time of year?
In no apparent order:
- The heat
- Having to go to parties and be nice to people
- The rushing around
- Other people's expectations
- People in general
- Too many Christmas carols
- Getting asked "What are you doing for Christmas?" every five minutes, then dealing with people's sympathising looks when you tell them you're not going back to Adelaide.
3. Who do you celebrate the holidays with?
Normally, and this year, Blarney, Barney, the Units and whoever else comes along. Every five years or so I'll go back to Adelaide for Christmas - COVID made it hard this year. Interstate travel is a bit hard at the moment.
4. Do you travel during the holidays?
I have done in the past. Whether that be going to Tasmania to visit Barney's family or going back to Adelaide. One year I went to Thailand and I was riding elephants on Christmas Day. That was really cool.
5. Do you prefer giving or receiving gifts?
I really like giving gifts. I'm not great at receiving. It feels weird.
6. Who is the hardest person to buy a gift for?
I'm of an age where everybody has everything they need and want. Jay is really hard to buy for - she ended up with a small garden gnome to sit under her ficus plant. The gnome will look good under her ficus.
7. What is your traditional holiday meal?
In Adelaide, we always do seafood and salad for Christmas - and have a really good feed of prawns, oysters and lobster. My job is to make the seafood sauce, which consists of cream, tomato sauce, some mustard, tabasco and a few other secret ingredents. I love prawns. As we had an Irish Christmas this year, there were no prawns - but a lovely ham.
I also made my annual Christmas cassata, in honour of my aunt, who had a birthday on Christmas day. It went down well, but I'm asking a lot of friends over to help me finish it.
8. Does your town get decorated for the holidays?
Melbourne does to a point. There are traditions like the Myer Christmas windows, which are always pretty but just a little bit creepy.
9. Do you have a Christmas tree?
No. I don't decorate the house. Never seen the point. I have a Christmas gin bottle which is filled with lights. That will do.
10. If you have a tree, what is on top of it?
I dont have a tree. If I had one, I'd probably put a star on the top - not an angel - I think they look tacky.
11. Do you decorate the outside of your house with lights?
Oh hell no - waste of electricity. It's something other people do. One of my old bosses used to do up his house and garden - I hate to think what his power bill was like. But it made him happy, and that is the mail thing.
12. What is your favorite holiday memory as a child?
I can't really think of one. Christmas is not my favourite time. I do remember playing cricket in the beach after a ham sandwich was a kid. Beach cricket and ham sandwiches on Christmas Day, especially when it was hot, was a good thing.
13. What is your favorite holiday dessert?
Other than cassata? I'm very fond of Christmas pudding, topped with my mother's hard sauce, which is really just whipped butter, icing sugar and a hell of a lot of brandy.
14. Do you have a favorite holiday movie?
Diehard. And don't tell anybody, but I'm quite fond of Love, Actually. And It's a Wonderful Life. And While You Were Sleeping. And Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang.
15. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
Having some downtime and spending time with friends. That will do.
I love Die Hard--watched it last night. No question that it's a Christmas move. I've never seen Love, Actually, so there's a new one for my list. It must be so ODD to be in a hot place for Christmas. But, if you've grown up there...I never much liked Christmas in Florida or Mississippi--too warm. We don't have snow, but at least the temperature is "right" out here in New Mexico. Happy Christmas!
ReplyDeleteDie Hard IS a holiday movie! Definitely! I haven't watched Love, Actually this year. Hmmm, I'll have to remedy that as I usually watch it.
ReplyDelete