A Christmas edition of “Knowing Your Friends” arrived in my email box this week. Here’s how I answered:

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Both, but prefer wrapping with self-tied sparkly bows.

2. Real tree or artificial? I grew up raising trees, but we finally went with artificial because of allergies. Once we found out it didn’t help, it was too late. It’d already been purchased.

3. When do you put up the tree? This year, Thanksgiving weekend. Usually later. I like earlier.

4. When do you take the tree down? Sometime around, say, mid-June.

5. Do you like eggnog? Bleeach. Gary drinks mine.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? The family gift someone gave us of a “hot fudge sundae kit.” Picture seven people building their sundaes with caramel and strawberries and whipped cream and chocolate, chocolate, chocolate.

7. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes. The baby shows up around midnight on December 24. The wise men make their trek across the counter in time for an Epiphany, January 6, arrival.

8. Hardest person to buy for? The dads.

9. Easiest person to buy for? Alexandra. She gives us her list around Halloween.

10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Equipment for the bar we don’t have, complete with martini coasters.

11. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail with a newsletter inside.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Unedited Holiday Inn.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Usually around Thanksgiving, but since I can’t drive, I’m running way behind this year.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Yup.

15. Favorite thing to eat and drink at Christmas? To eat: Grammy’s cheese ball. The kind with nuts and parsley. To drink: Hot chocolate with marshmallows. Or rather, eat marshmallows with hot chocolate on top. To make: Decorating sugar cookies.

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Colored.

17. Favorite Christmas song? Tie between the entire Handel’s Messiah and O Holy Night.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Usually travel to see family in cooler climes. There’s something wrong about sunbathing weather while Bing Crosby’s crooning.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? There are…Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Dixon; Donder and Cupid and Comet and Vixen. But do you recall the most famous reindeer of all? Rudolph. It feels off a bit, but I think I’m close.

20 Angel on the tree top or a star? Star.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? One on December 24—sometimes jammies for the girl. It’s easier to get kids ready for bed if the bedclothes are a present. On "the day" we have a big breakfast and the kids go nuts while we wait to get dishes done.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Highway traffic backed up at the mall.

23. Favorite thing about the Christmas Holidays? Lyrics about Christ the Lord playing everywhere I go—the department store, the grocery store, a friend’s house.

Pick one and tell how you'd answer.