Gaudete, Gaudete, Christus est Natus

Ra, Ra, Ra, look at DIS!! I IS POSTING!

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I is very proud of me.

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Ackshully, I got tagged by Bella over at To Say Nothing of Reality.

This tag, I like it.  Another!

Before I actually do the tag, today is Gaudete Sunday, and my little niece Chloe received her

First Holy Communion today.

She was so excited, it was so cute.  She was shaking when she went up to receive, she was so jazzed. We were all so proud. :-)  (That is an example of how NOT to repeat the word "So" so often.) Anyhoozle, hope your Advent continues well!

Now, for Bella's Tag.

So the RULES to this tag are as follows:

1.) Link back to the person who tagged you.
2.) Answer the Questions (which are not supplied here, but given via Bella's blog.)
3.)Tag five (or more - hahahahaha) people.

Soooooo, I linked.  :-)

Here are the questions lifted from Bella's blog:

1.) When does the Christmas season officially 'start' in your house?
Officially?... It starts AFTER Christmas.  Right now we're in the Advent season.  However, if you're talking about Christmas SPIRIT, it kind of rolls up (on me) on Thanksgiving.

2.) What is your earliest memory of Christmas?
I remember being super little, like three or four, and waking up and smiling into one of my older sisters' face as she woke me and hissed, "It's Christmas!"  I remember thinking, "Wow, Christmas.  That's so cool!"

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3.) What is something that is something that is iconically (if that's even a word) Christmas for you or your family?
Probably the food.  Christmas morning is the only day in the world that we have Italian sausage and soft rolls and orange juice for breakfast, and usually the *main* day that we have gnocchi and ham for dinner.  We also do the Advent wreath and sing O Come Emmanuel at dinner.

4.) What are some of your Christmas Traditions?
We always listen to O Holy Night (Nat "King" Cole version and Josh Groban version) on Thanksgiving.
We also watch Holiday Inn on Thanksgiving.
We celebrate St. Nicholas Day on December 6 and the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8.
We do the Advent wreath and do Christmas rings, counting down the days to Christmas.
We decorate the house, usually starting around December 6th or 8th.
We bake and make gnocchi the week before Christmas.
We watch Christmas movies.  Many, many, many. :-)

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5.) What is one of the traditions that you want to carry on even after you're married?
Just one?  I want to make gnocchi and ham every Christmas, and I definitely want to keep the tradition of Epiphany.

6.) What if your favorite thing when preparing for Christmas? The baking, decorating or cleaning?
The decorating.  Totally, the decorating.

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7.) What is a special/unique Christmas memory?
About 23 years ago my Grandpa passed, right around Christmas time, and my mom was not here for Christmas.  So all of us kids at home saved one present and left it under the tree, and when she got back in January we celebrated our first Epiphany on January 6th, and we have celebrated it ever since.

8.) What do you like better, giving or receiving gifts? 
I LOVE giving gifts.  I sit right next to the person and am like, "Open it more... and more... and more... can you guess what it is from the box? Huh, huh, can ya, can ya?"

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9.) What are some of your favorite Christmas cartoons?
Mickey's Christmas Carol.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
The First White Christmas - The Story of the First Christmas Snow.

10.) What are some of your favorite Christmas movies?
It's A Wonderful Life (My absolute FAVORITE.)
Angel In the House (a recent discovery).
Silent Night.
A Christmas Carol with Reginald Owen.
(These are the four I NEED to watch.)

After that I like to watch:
One Magic Christmas.
While You Were Sleeping.
Doctor Who (Eleven's) Christmas Specials.
A Keaton Christmas Carol.

11.) Do you have a real Christmas tree or an artificial tree?
We have an artificial.  I am of two minds between real and artificial.  I love the smell and authenticity of real.  I don't like how they shed needles or die so soon.  However, I don't like how fake smell... odd, but I do like that you can leave them up through the entire season.

12.) Do you have a favorite Christmas book/story? 
The Crib of Bo'Bossu.  Makes me cry.  EVERY time.

13.) What is your favorite Christmas song?
O Holy Night (Josh Groban and Nat Cole's version)
Believe (Josh Groban)\
What Child is This (Josh Groban and another version that is a group version that I can't find that I LOVE.)
Little Drummer Boy (Tennessee Ernie Ford and Josh Groban)
In the Bleak Midwinter (Julie Andrews)
The Little Road to Bethlehem (Hayley Westenra)
Peace Shall Come (Hayley Westenra)
And too many others too count.  But those are the top seven I could recall one after the other.

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Imma not tagging anyone, but I wish youse all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! :-)