Since Becky and I have the same advent calendar day, we thought it’d be fun to interview each other about our Christmas traditions, memories, likes and dislikes. These are the questions she asked me. (You can see the questions I asked her and her answers over at her site today.)

When do you begin watching Holiday movies?
Not until after Thanksgiving. And, sometimes not even until partway through December.

What’s your favorite movie? Do you have a favorite scene? A favorite line?
I’m a sap: I love It’s a Wonderful Life. Every year I swear I’m not going to cry, and every year I give in and bawl at the end when they start bringing in the money and singing. Gets me every time, even though I know it’s coming. I also like the Muppet Christmas Carol. It’s a must-see every year, too.

What’s your favorite TV special?
The Snowman. I’d never seen this until my mother-in-law gave us a copy one Christmas. But I love it now. I also like Arthur’s Perfect Christmas, Charlie Brown’s Christmas, and The Grinch. (But ONLY the TV version. I boycott the movie.)

Are there any specials from your childhood days that you wish would make a come back? Any that you’re especially embarrassed of?
Nope. And nope. (And for the record: I’m not sure I’ve actually seen The Christmas Story in it’s entirety, and I’m not sure I plan on it. Ever.)

When do you start listening to Christmas music?
Thanksgiving. Our radio stations started playing Christmas music mid-November, but THAT’s too early. (Unless my girls or I are playing it on the piano, or we’re singing them in choir. Then I’m okay with it as early as October.)

What are some of your favorite albums?
Arthur’s Perfect Christmas (the music is as good as the special)
Handel’s Messiah: A Soulful Celebration
Barenaked for the Holidays, Barenaked Ladies
John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together (a Christmas staple!)
Rockapella Christmas
Mannheim Steamroller (it doesn’t really matter what album, though, does it?)
Raffi’s Christmas Album

Is there a particular album you couldn’t do without because it “makes” it feel like Christmas?
It’s not Christmas without the Osmond Family Christmas album. That one goes back to my childhood, and my girls think I’m nuts when I sing loudly (but mostly in-key) to it.

What’s your favorite Christmas song? Traditional? Nontraditional?
Hymn — Angels We Have Heard on High (love the Glorias and is has a great alto part). My favorite arrangement is done by Mack Wilberg for full choir. I’ve loved it since I first heard it at school, the Christmas of 1991. This one isn’t exactly it, but it’s close. 🙂

Carol — Here We Come a-Wassailing

Song — Elf’s Lament, Barenaked Ladies

I don’t know how “involved” you want to be, but if you were to make your own holiday soundtrack what would it have on it? Hmmm…. I made a mix CD (we’re ancient here; no iPods) last year. Here are the tracks from it:
12 Days of Christmas, John Denver and the Muppets
Mr. Heatmiser, Big Fat Voodoo Daddy
White Christmas, Tony Bennett
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/We Three Kings, Sarah McLachhlan/Barenaked Ladies
Old Toy Trains, Raffi
Jingle Bells, Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass
Oh Come All Ye Faithful, Gladys Knight
Sleigh Ride, Boston Pops (the instrumental version, thank you very much)
Jamaican Noel, Voice Male
Fum, Fum, Fum, Arthur’s Perfect Christmas
The Friendly Beasts, Mormon Tabernacle Choir
In the Bleak Midwinter, Shawn Colvin
(It Must Have Been) Ol‘ Santa Claus, Harry Connick Jr.
Petit Papa Noel, Raffi
Elf’s Lament, Barenaked Ladies
The Night Before Christmas, Carly Simon
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, John Denver and the Muppets
Gabriel’s Message, Sting
Christmas Time is Here, Charlie Brown’s Christmas
You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch, Rockapella
We Wish You a Merry Christmas, John Denver and the Muppets
Auld Lang Syne, James Taylor

Do you have any favorite holiday-themed books?
I like to collect nice Christmas picture books, so I have a bunch of favorites. The one I picked up last year was Great Joy by Kate DiCamillo, which is just beautiful. I also like the traditional stuff: How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Polar Express, The Other Wise Man, The Night Before Christmas (our version is illustrated by Jan Brett; I have to stop myself or I’d have a ton of different versions of that book alone!).

Is there a book (or two) that you make a point of reading each year?
We have a picture book of a chapter in Little House on the Prairie, Santa Comes to Little House which we read every year. I like to try and get to The Dark is Rising around mid-winter. This year, I’m actually reading A Christmas Carol for the first time in ages.

What about recipes? Do you have a special food (or drink) that you make or bake only during the holidays?
Oh, let me think… A Canadian friend of mine put me on to mint nanimo bars, which I try to make (my version anyway, since we can’t find the custard powder my friend’s recipe requires) every Christmas. That, and Christmas Bark (recipe follows). It’s my husband’s absolute favorite. I don’t make much special that’s non-junk food. 🙂 Our traditional Christmas meal is pot roast, and I don’t do anything really special to it.

Want to share a favorite recipe or cooking tradition?
Christmas Bark
**Note: like everything, the better quality the ingredients, the better the candy. That, and you have to unwrap and smush the candy canes. You can’t substitute and put mint in the white chocolate. part of the charm of the candy is the crunch from the broken candy canes. That, and you have to feel like there’s some “work” involved in this. 🙂 **

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups white chocolate chips
1/2 cup crushed candy canes, about 6

Line a large, rimmed cookie sheet with parchment or wax paper.

Microwave semi-sweet chocolate in a medium bowl on high for 2 minutes or until almost melted, stirring halfway though heating time. Stir until completely melted. Spread on wax paper. Let set while melting white chocolate in the same method.

Sprinkle the candy on top of the white chocolate before it sets. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm. Break into pieces.

Store in an air-tight container for up to two weeks. Refrigerated, it lasts longer.

What’s your favorite memory of Christmas as a child?
There are several. But I’ll only tell about one. The Christmas I was sixteen, we noticed a strange gift under the tree. It was rectangular, small, and very very heavy. It got us all incredibly curious — it was too the whole family — and no one could figure out what it was. My dad, with his amazing poker face, swore he didn’t know what it was, either. Christmas morning, it was the last present opened. I don’t remember who opened it, but it was a brick. We all wondered what kind of prank it was, until someone turned it over: on the back were six tickets to a performance of Phantom of the Opera in Chicago. My dad. 🙂 He also started a tradition (I don’t know if he keeps it up when there aren’t kids present): every year, taped to a brick are some kind of tickets to something (the last time we were home for Christmas, it was gift certificates for a night out at the movies for all his married kids). He’s an amazing dad. (I have an amazing mom, too. 🙂 (BTW, going to Chicago for the performance was a whole lotta fun. I’m not terribly thrilled with the musical now, but I remember absolutely loving it then.)

What’s your favorite memory of Christmas as an adult?
Last year, when I completely caught Hubby off guard by buying him a replacement wedding ring for the one he’d lost. I’d searched around until I found one exactly like the one we’d gotten when he got married. He was definitely surprised. 🙂

Let’s talk gifts. What’s on your wish list this year?
Money to pay back debt? I asked for a big crock pot (I’m practical that way). But if I could have anything… I’d ask for a bunch of DVDs. Anything from the Signals catalog. A bunch of useless stuff. Possibly a Wii. Notice that there are no books… I’m actually very picky about my books and I don’t like to get them as gifts. I prefer to pick them out myself. (I think this bit of snobbery is something I picked up from my husband.) Though, I won’t turn one down if I get one. 🙂

When do you begin shopping? Is it something you love or hate?
Love giving. Don’t mind shopping; it’s kind of fun picking out things for people. And I don’t even mind the crowds… as long as I leave my 2 year old at home! But I’ve been trying to spread it out this year… so I’ve been buying since October.

When do you do gifts–Christmas Eve or Christmas?
Christmas morning. Preferably after 7 a.m.

Is Christmas Eve family time? Or rushing around crazy time? Or a bit of both?
Growing up, I had friends of other faiths who went to church Christmas Eve, and I became enamored by that idea (our church doesn’t have services on Christmas Eve). So, when Hubby and I got married, I insisted upon attending midnight Mass. We’ve kept up that tradition, though we pick a different church every year. We have what we call our “meager meal” — bread, cheese and fruit — by candlelight, and then pack the girls off to church. Once home, it’s pretty much straight to bed for them. After they’re in bed, we end the night by watching It’s a Wonderful Life. We never do get to bed at a decent hour, though. 😉

If you were to make a list of “favorite things”–like Oprah for example–what would be on your list?
Oh, I don’t know. Everything. But being season-specific:

My kids and husband
Christmas lights on snow
A fire in the fireplace
The girls’ faces on Christmas morning
A good night’s sleep
A home to keep us warm
A good book, a blanket and a cup of hot cocoa!

Merry Christmas!