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What is your favourite holiday tradition?
Every Christmas Eve, we take all of the children in the family (categorized as anybody less than 27.5 years old) and tie them to the chimney on the roof in the freezing snow. The idea is that when Santa arrives, he will emancipate them and then everybody eats cookies and rejoices. So far, it’s never quite worked out that way. It’s a pretty crappy tradition, really. But it’s just the way we’ve always done it.
What is your favourite holiday jingle?
We wrote our own. It’s called “Be Patient For Santa. He’ll Come Eventually.” I hired Darlene Love to record it. It’s coming out on Phil Spector’s new label In Touch With Reality Records.
Baileys or eggnog?
Baileys with coffee in the morning, eggnog with rum in the afternoon.
Kris Kringle or the Grinch?
Grinch. His heart grew three sizes. That’s impressive.
Turkey, ham or other?
I’ve been waiting my whole life to be asked to carve the “other”.
How would you describe the holidays at your house?
Yule name it, we got it.
Are you on the good list or naughty list this year?
Nothing is black or white. Just shades of grey. Ideally, 50 of them.
What is the most memorable gift you’ve ever received?
That time Tony Hawk presented me with the Universal Skateboarder of The Year award.
My family is English, so for dessert we cover a Christmas pudding with hot brandy and light it on fire! We turn out all the lights and watch the purple flames.
I have a soft spot for Christmas music. I’ve already been listening for about a week (it’s Dec. 1 today). I think my favourite is “Sleigh Ride.” It’s just silly enough, and makes me smile each time. I also have my own Christmas song, “Green Trees Red Hearts.”
I’m all over the nog.
I’ve had my Christmas decorations up since Nov 23…
Ham all year, but nothing replaces turkey on the big day.
There’s a lot of cheese (metaphorical and literal).
I’m always on the good list… it’s starting to get old. Maybe I’ll try something else in 2015.
I’m a huge figure skating fan, and one year my whole family chipped in to buy me the Oksana Baiul biography, and my brother waited in line for hours to get it autographed at the store.
What is your favourite holiday tradition? My family’s favorite holiday tradition is opening one gift on Christmas Eve. It’s always so exciting to choose one gift and get to open it a day early!
What is your favourite holiday jingle? My favorite holiday song is “Last Christmas” by George Michael.
Bailey’s or eggnog? Eggnog. I’ve actually never tried Baileys! Maybe this will be the year.
Kris Kringle or the Grinch? Definitely Kris Kringle. I just love the holiday season with all the festive decorations and being filled with the Christmas spirit.
Turkey, ham or other? My grandma always whips up an amazing feast for Christmas dinner, which always includes a turkey.
How would you describe the holidays at your house? During the holidays, my house is festively decorated and filled with the aroma of delicious Christmas baking. My family loves the Christmas season, and I have to say, it kind of is the most wonderful time of the year!
Are you on the good list or naughty list this year? I would say the good list… if we’re taking an average. But hey, nobody’s perfect.
What is the most memorable gift you’ve ever received? One year for Christmas when I was young, I got a plastic microphone set with a stand that worked like an actual mic and amplified my voice. Let’s just say that year was filled with lots of concerts from a young and excited Victoria.
I used to enjoy getting the tree. I have fond memories of going into the woods and finding the perfect one. Now I love the simple act of hanging with my family, especially my nieces and nephew.
“O Holy Night” is quite beautiful, and I also like Elvis’s “Blue Christmas”.
Bailey’s or eggnog?
Eggnog! For the past few years I’ve really been digging the different soy and almond milk versions.
The Grinch for sure. I always start off the holiday season with a bit of a scowl, but I come around in the end.
It’s all about the yams. My older brother makes a mean candied yam dish. I am also a fan of Tofurkey roast with miso gravy.
A veritable tornado of love.
Both… I am in a rock band after all.
What is the most memorable gift you ever received?
A few years ago my brother Ryan, who is the lead singer of our band, gave me the sheet music for Chopin’s Nocturne in E flat major. That was a pretty special one because it is a piece of music that means a lot to the both of us.
I have started to make my mother-in-law’s cream cheese pastries every year. Rolled in sugar, cinnamon and raisins these things are dangerous in all the best ways.
I love any classic when done by Bing Crosby or Nat King Cole, but am also a huge fan of “New York Fairytale” by The Pogues and “Last Christmas” by Wham! These ain’t jingles though – total holiday party hits.
If drinking it: Baileys. If I’m jumping into a giant bowl of it: nog.
Yukon Corneleius and Mrs. Claus.
That bird is spending all day in the oven filled with a whole bunch of bread, sage, cranberrys and pork sausage. I still have a battered piece of paper including my Mom’s instructions on “How to Cook a Turkey”
My six-month-old will be spending his first holiday season down in Florida mobile home and going to the beach. Friends and family are the perfect recipe for the holidays. That and some Yahtzee. And some nut mix. Maybe some fruitcake too.
I’ve got a firm hold on both. Can’t have one without the other.
My first guitar from the Sears catalouge. It was junior sized and I learned my first chords on it.
Getting together with family and going for a swim in the ocean on Christmas day. When you’ve been a musician all your life, you get a little crazy.
“Winter Wonderland” and “Silent Night” are sacred. To this day, I still love Bruce Cockburn’s Christmas record and Blue Rodeo have put out a killer one this year.
Baileys.
Kris.
Turkey and salmon for the pescatarians.
Very happy, festive and social with just the occasional blue period.
60/40 split!
Before we got married, my wife Kath gave me a quilt she made. It was pretty amazing.
Putting on sweat pants a long sleeve shirt and loafers
“Jingle Bell Rock.”
Both of course!
Team Kris Kringle. I like toys.
Bacon!
The heat is on 24/7 and there’s a Christmas tree.
Depends who you ask.
A few years back one of my part-time jobs started to ramp down for the season so I was out of work. I had to return my favourite snare drum back to the music shop. A couple weeks later we had a local show in Victoria. I woke up the day of the show to find my favourite snare drum at my apartment. I use it at every show we play.
We absolutely love Christmas carolling! We went out with friends every holiday season throughout high school, and we try to make an annual event of it now with our families. It’s been fun to start sharing some of our favourite songs with our own young kids.
We both absolutely love “Old Toy Trains.” We were probably first introduced to the song on Raffi’s Christmas album when we were quite young, and we later sang it together in an a cappella quartette. The melody lends itself so perfectly to sweet harmonies. We were excited to be able to include this song on our new holiday album – Wave Your Antlers!
Baileys or Eggnog?
B: Eggnog
L: Baileys
Kris Kringle!
B: Turkey and ham. Preferably wrapped in bacon.
L: Tofurkey with a serious helping of veggie stuffing on the side.
B: Music and merriment!
L: Casual chaos!
Definitely the good list. Can children’s entertainers even be on the naughty list?
B: Sony Sport Walkman. I couldn’t get enough of my Tiffany, NKOTB and Paula Abdul cassettes.
L: Cabbage Patch Horse. I coveted that toy forever and stayed up all night in wishful anticipation, hoping that Santa got the message.
Getting together with family.
“Christmas (Baby Please Come Home.”
Why not both?
Kris. Unless someone pees in my Baileys & Egg Nog.
Turkey.
Lots of food, lots of family, and a good chance some sort of card/board game will come out!
Depends on who asks, but I’m going to guess the good list.
Tough to pick just one. Probably a hockey stick from my sister when I was 10. Only because I told her if I scored with it in the next game I would point up to her in the stands with it. Sure enough I got the first goal on the first shot of the game.
What is your favourite holiday tradition? I’d have to say it would be a tie between watching A Child’s Christmas in Wales with my family and making/eating mince tarts.
What is your favourite holiday jingle? Probably Carol of the Bells.
Baileys or eggnog? Baileys in coffee all the way.
Kris Kringle or the Grinch? Definitely Kris Kringle.
Turkey, ham or other? Christmas pudding.
How would you describe the holidays at your house? Loud. Books. Snow. Drinks and nibblies.
Are you on the good list or naughty list this year? Always the good.
What is the most memorable gift you ever received? When I was in grade 1, I received a bike. At the time, we were living on the top floor of a house with no chimney, so Santa had to leave it on the roof outside the kitchen window for me.
