The 24 Days of Saturnalian Interrogation

Also known as, two lovely Christmas tags. 😉

Yes indeedy, two dear friends have both passed me holiday tags!  I don't often double up on tag/award posts, but since we're already halfway through December, it seemed like the best move. 😛  

First, let's start with Heidi's tag:  the 12 Delights of Christmas.

1. A favorite Christmas tradition?

Watching The Sound of Music on New Year's Eve! 😃💕

2. Say it snowed at your domicile, would you prefer to go out or stay curled up inside?

Ideally, I'd have a whole day in which to do both!  It's actually snowing as I write this (😍), and I'm hoping/planning to go outside for picture-taking and hiking, as well as to spend Quite A Bit of time reading in an easy chair. 

3. Tea or hot chocolate?

Hot chocolate, for sure.

4. Favorite Christmas colors (i.e. white, blue, silver, gold, red and green etc)?

I really can't decide . . . in terms of combos, probably white and green.  But I also need some splashes of multi-color in there somewhere. 

5. Favorite kind of Christmas cookie?

Molasses crinkles!  (Essentially soft, chewy gingersnaps.)  Also various chocolate/peanut butter combinations. 😉

6. How soon before Christmas do you decorate (more specifically, when does your tree go up)?

I usually start sprucing up my own room around the first of December, which is actually a little odd since I'm such a proponent of early decorating.  When it comes to Christmas, I am definitely a "the more, the merrier" type of person. 

It really varies by year, when my family's tree goes up.  Sometimes the day after Thanksgiving, sometimes later.

7. Three favorite traditional Christmas carols?

"O Holy Night," "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel," and "Silent Night".  I'm verrry picky about renditions of all three.  One might say I have Very Definite Opinions of how they should be performed. 😛  (Hint:  choral and Latin are always good adjectives.)

8. A favorite Christmas song (i.e. something you might hear on the radio)?

I like "Last Christmas," "Blue Christmas," "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," and "I'll Be Home for Christmas".  (Those last two have to be heavy on the melancholy to meet my preferences, though.)

9. A favorite Christmas movie?

The Nativity Story is my favorite of the ones I only watch at Christmas, but I also love While You Were Sleeping (obviously 😉) and the 1991 remake of Father of the Bride, which feels kind of Christmas-y to me. 

10. Have you ever gone caroling?

Nope.  Almost, but the year I was going to go, the choir's plans changed.  Can't remember why, but I'm not that shaken up about it. 

11. Ice skating, sledding, skiing, or snow boarding?

Sledding!  I still haven't gone ice skating yet.  I sort of want to, sort of don't . . . we shall see. 😛

12. Favorite Christmas feast dish?

Hmm . . . I don't know if there's anything that we only eat at Christmas.  Although, come to think of it, my mom often cooks up the first batch of her famous potato soup during winter celebrations — maybe that counts? 😋

Thanks, Heidi! 💕

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Next, Hamlette tagged me for the 12 Days of Christmas Book Tag (a literary twist on last year's 12 Days of Christmas Movie Tag).  Thank you, Hamlette! 💗

1. A Partridge in a Pear Tree -- book that involves agriculture

Much of Greenwillow takes place on the Briggses' farm, without being a story that focuses on farming.  Win!

2. Turtledoves -- book about a long-lasting relationship

The Books of Pellinor, by Alison Croggon.  You want slow-burn romance?  We've got slow-burn romance! 😉

3. French Hens -- book that takes place in France

The Tale of Despereaux is a phenomenally deep and heartbreaking read.  Kate DiCamillo knows what she's doing, y'all. 

4. Calling Birds -- book where people talk on the phone

The protagonist in Small Damages is a teen mom who's carrying out her pregnancy in a foreign country.  Naturally, she has to use the phone to communicate with family/friends back home. 

5. Golden Rings -- book with multiple romances

As I remember, there are two or three love stories in Naomi Novik's icy Rumplestiltskin retelling, Spinning Silver. 

6. Geese A-laying -- book with a birth or that features babies

The Light Between Oceans, but let's not talk about it because we'll both cry. 

7. Swans A-swimming -- book where someone goes swimming

Buttercup takes a dip in Florin Channel to evade the Sicilian & Co. in The Princess Bride.  [Also known as my favorite book on the face of the planet holy heck it's so amazing I just — ]

8. Maids A-milking -- book with cows

There've gotta be cows somewhere in Ivanhoe, right?  Gurth's a swineherd, but I'm sure he flexes. 

9. Ladies Dancing -- book with a dance scene

If I recall correctly, the central conflict of Patricia A McKillip's (gorgeous) Tower at Stony Wood is set up during a dance scene. 

10. Lords A-leaping -- book about athletes

Um — do — do I look —

Oh, wait!  I did read a bit of Love and Gelato a few weeks ago.  I didn't finish it this time around, but the protagonist is a runner, so it'll work. 

11. Pipers Piping -- book with someone playing a musical instrument

The Lady of the Green Kirtle has a magical instrument that she uses to charm her victims in The Silver Chair!

12. Drummers Drumming -- book with characters in the military

I believe that Werner is part of the German army in All the Light We Cannot See?  Maybe?  Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. 

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That's it for today!  I'm not going to tag anyone because I think the majority of bloggers I know have already been tagged or are about to be.  Still, if you want to fill this out and you haven't been tagged, please consider this your official nomination! 😘

How do you feel about Christmas?

How about snow?