Do you prefer artificial Christmas trees or real trees? Nothing like a real Christmas tree! When I was growing up, we used to go to a Christmas tree farm in Chester, SC and cut one down as a family. Now, my family and I go to a farm outside of Nashville. As far as artificial trees go, I like to have a few small decorative ones around the house. We have a whole lot of ornaments.
When do you decorate your Christmas tree? We usually get it about a week after Thanksgiving, we bring it home & start decorating that night!
What is your favorite Christmas song? What makes it your favorite? Hmm. I really like Anne Murray’s version of Joy to the World. I also like Willie Nelson’s Christmas Blues(it’s an instrumental, but feels like Christmas to me. One year, I was having trouble getting into the Christmas spirit, and I heard “2000 Miles” by the Pretenders, and that did the trick.
What is your go-to holiday drink? White Russian.
What is your favorite Christmas present that you have ever received? My first Telecaster Junior year of High School.
What were your Christmas traditions when you were younger? Church on Christmas Eve. Waiting for my Dad to start a fire in the room where all the presents were. Man, that took some patience.
How have your Christmas celebrations changed since becoming an adult? My wife likes to open one present on Christmas Eve. I didn’t grow up doing that.
How will Christmas be different at your house this year be different this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic? We usually have a gathering at my parents house the week before Christmas with my mama’s side of the family. That’s not happening this year unfortunately.
What is your favorite Christmas memory? The first year I lived in Nashville, I didn’t think I was going to be able to make it home to see my folks. I was living in an old apartment on Division Street, and I was all by myself. So, my folks decided to come see me in Nashville-they showed up with Moses, the hundred pound black lab-and we cooked dinner in my tiny stove in my tiny apartment, with my tiny little tree. We got up on Christmas day and went to a church service at Christ Church Cathedral on Broadway.
How do you spend the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day? Trying to hold on to that Christmas spirit for as long as I can.
How do you spend New Year’s Eve? Usually, I drink a little champagne, and also one of those Miller High Life 40 oz. bottles that comes in the shape of Champagne bottle, and if I haven’t gotten a chance to clean & cut my collards, I get a jump on that. I have a big New Year’s Day gathering at our house.
How will the pandemic impact your celebrations? Well, no New Years Day gathering, unfortunately. Less collards to prepare, I reckon.
What do you typically eat on New Year’s Day? Pork Tenderloin, Collard Greens, Hoppin John-a traditional southern New Years Day dish-which is essentially black eyed peas(field peas if I can find them) and rice.
Do you have a New Year’s Resolution for 2021? Not yet.