~ Christmas Q&A ~
With Lynn Montagano
What does
Christmas mean to you?
More than any
other holiday, Christmas is the one where the entire family is together. For
me, Christmas is synonymous with family. And food. Lots and lots of food.
When does the
Christmas excitement usually begin in your household?
The day after Thanksgiving. That’s when I
start decorating and playing the Christmas music and burning the Christmas
scented candles. Love it! Plus, the month of December has been affectionately dubbed
“The Month of Lynn.” Well, I dubbed it that. J My birthday is also in December (the 14th) along with my anniversary (the 4th). The entire month is one giant
celebration.
In terms of
present shopping, do you like to begin early and stay organised, or are you a
fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants type of shopper?
I’m a bit of both. There are some presents that I get out of the way
early but there’s usually more that I leave for last minute. I’m also the type
of person who loves to be in the hustle and bustle of shoppers.
What’s your
favourite part of a Christmas dinner?
My family is Italian so all the eating
starts on Christmas Eve. We have all kinds of seafood and desserts and then on
Christmas morning I always, ALWAYS have homemade chocolate chip cookies for
breakfast. I can’t be the only one who does that! J By the time dinner rolls around we’ve been snacking
all day on the antipasto and other assorted goodies so there’s barely any room
for the ham, lasagne, greens, soup, etc. But we somehow manage to pack it all
into out tummies.
Least favourite
part?
Feeling like I’m going to explode
from all the aforementioned food.
Ultimate favourite
Christmas song?
Do They Know It’s
Christmas (the original, 1984 version) and All I Want For Christmas Is You
Favourite
Christmas movie?
Love Actually, A
Christmas Story, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
Is Christmas
usually a huge family affair for you, or a small gathering?
Huge. As I
mentioned before, my family is Italian so when we all gather together, it gets
quite loud!
Who does the
cooking?
It depends on where we have Christmas dinner. If it’s at my parent’s
house, my mom does most of the cooking. My dad prepares the seafood for
Christmas Eve. I make some of the desserts. I might even have a recipe to share
with all of you. J
What sits atop
your Christmas tree?
A pretty red bow.
Do you decorate
with precision, or happy chaos?
Precision. I admit I’m a bit of neat freak so
I like to have the decorations perfectly arranged.
Who does the
washing up afterwards?
Again, it depends
on where we have dinner. If we’re at my parent’s, my dad is a pro at loading
the dish washer.
Favourite gift
received?
Oh wow. That’s a tough one. I’ve
received so many great gifts over the years it’s hard to choose just one!
A Christmas
reading recommendation?
How the Grinch Stole Christmas or A Christmas Carol. They’re
both classics that I adore.
If Santa could
grant you one wish this year, what would it be?
I’ve been asking Santa for
years to leave Tom Brady under the tree for me. I’m still waiting, Santa!
How early do you
wake up on Christmas morning?
I’m usually up by 8am with coffee in hand, ready
to open presents.
Three favourite
Christmas smells?
The tree, my mom’s home cooking and, if it snows, the crisp,
cool air outside.
Have you ever
spent Christmas away from home? Did you enjoy it, or miss the familiar
surroundings?
Once. When my husband and I were dating he took me to visit his
family in Denmark, which is where he’s from. I’d never been away from home on
Christmas before. They do things a little differently over there. We opened all
the presents on Christmas Eve and then sang songs while dancing around the
Christmas tree. It was nice to see a different way of celebrating the holiday
but I missed being home.
Do you pile presents
around the tree, or wait until Christmas Eve so they’re there on Christmas
morning?
The presents go under the tree as soon as they’re wrapped. Only the
ones from Santa are saved for Christmas. J
Has anything ever
happened to you, to make you wonder if Christmas time really is magical?
The
whole month of December feels magical to me. Nothing has ever happened to me to
make me wonder but there’s a feeling that I just can’t put my finger on about
the season.
If you could spend
Christmas anywhere, where would you spend it?
Home J
Cranberry sauce or
not?
YES!
Mince pie or
Christmas pudding?
I will never turn down a pudding.
Any special
Christmas traditions?
I have this super comfy, one-piece flannel red pajama set
that I only wear on Christmas Eve. I love it. It’s basically a onesie for an
adult. My husband can’t stand it but I’ll keep on wearing it forever.
How do you spend
Boxing Day?
We don’t have Boxing Day here in the States but I spend the day
after Christmas at my parent’s having leftovers. J
At what point do
the Christmas decorations come down?
A couple of days after New Year.
What are you
looking forward to most, this Christmas?
Everything! Decorating the tree,
wrapping gifts, listening to Christmas music, spending time with my family,
hoping for snow, watching great Christmas movies, baking….I could go on and on!
Thank you so much for
letting me take part in your Festive Q&A, Becca! Merry Christmas!
You can find Lynn Montagano on Facebook | Twitter | lynnmontagano.net
Lynn Montagano is the author of CATCH MY BREATH, UNRAVEL ME and EFFORTLESS. A native Rhode Islander, she loves football, traveling and her cats, Brady and Bigglesworth.
Having lived in several cities, including Los Angeles and Orlando, she now happily calls Massachusetts home.
When she isn't galavanting across the planet, you can find her cheering loudly for her beloved New England Patriots or daydreaming about London while penning her next novel.
Having lived in several cities, including Los Angeles and Orlando, she now happily calls Massachusetts home.
When she isn't galavanting across the planet, you can find her cheering loudly for her beloved New England Patriots or daydreaming about London while penning her next novel.
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