1. Egg nog or hot chocolate? Tea or perhaps beer followed by tea if I run out of beer.
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? I wish he would because I suck mightily at present wrapping.
3. Coloured lights on tree/house or white? No lights anywhere. This is the first year we bothered to get a tree (because of our new daughter), and it's a second hand one filched from the mother in law. It's waist high and has 3.2 baubles and sits sulking in the corner. Mrs A. is in the process of remedying the situation so she tells me.
4. Do you hang mistletoe? Only if I cut it with my golden sickle whilst dressed as a druid. So....no.
5. When do you put your decorations up? When I'm nagged hard enough.
6. What is your holiday dish (excluding dessert)? Australia's abundance of fresh summer fruits or ham with hot English mustard on toast.
7. Favourite holiday memory as a child: Long hot summer days with no school riding bikes in Balmain streets with my mates.
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I don't remember precisely, but I assume it had something to do with other kids in the playground doing that supercilious "you don't still believe in...." that seven year olds do so well.
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Yes. Mrs A's family do the "pick a name out of the hat and buy a present for $30 for that one person" thing. Traditionally we gather to give those gifts on Christmas Eve.
10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? I make sure I have 20 or 30 seconds to spare and chuck the 3.2 aforementioned ornaments onto it.
11. Snow! Love it or dread it? Christmas is generally stinking hot and I spend as much of it as I can in the pool. I would love it to snow.
12. Can you ice skate? Yes, and when they invent ice skates for my backside I'll get better at it.
13. Do you remember your favourite gift? If it's music or a book then it is perfect. Generally it is music or a book.
14. What’s the most important thing about the holidays for you? Holidays?
15. What is your favourite holiday dessert? I'm a savoury guy. Not really into sweet food.
16. What is your favourite holiday tradition? The annual gathering of my maternal relations. It's a very relaxed time with good people.
17. What tops your tree? Pretty much everything in the house. Oh, I see what you mean. Nothing yet. I'll wait for my daughter to start school and bring something home for it.
18. Which do you prefer, giving or receiving? I am a bad present giver. No matter how many hints I get I never remember what it is I'm supposed to buy. On those rare occasions when I do get the right gift it's a great feeling.
19. What is your favourite Christmas song? Carol of the Birds.
20. Candy canes: see 15
21. Favourite Christmas movie? No idea.
22. What do you leave for Santa? A six pack of beer.