Mittens or Gloves?

It's like the boxers or briefs question, but more universal.  When I was a child, I only wore gloves.  In fact, my mother would only purchase gloves for my sisters and me.  In fact, my mother on occasion made rather disparaging comments about mitten-wearers that implied a certain dullness of intellect.  (If it strikes you as unusual that a person could develop such personal feelings about mittens, you clearly have never met my mother.)

At any rate, when I went to purchase my miscellaneous winter equipment yesterday evening, I had a moment to contemplate which I preferred.  Despite my upbringing, I came down firmly in the camp of the mitten.  After all, there is a simplicity to the mitten.  The mitten is essentially true to the design worn by our ancestors tens of thousands of years ago.  The mitten is humble.  It makes no pretense of grandeur.  The mitten pragmatically declares its function.  It is...a sock for your hand. 

On a more pragmatic front, as someone who simple wants to be warm on the walk to work, I don't really need the full articulation of a glove.  I need the warmth of a mitten, a little sack in which all of your fingers can huddle together for warmth.  This morning, I didn't even put my thumb into the thumb slot.  I just pulled the mittens on and balled my hands into fists to keep warm.  Thank you, humble mitten.  And so I ask you, friends, glove or mitten? Or both?

Mittenglove