Christmas Past

The small, unassuming wren may be nothing much to look at, but wait till it starts singing. Its loud, complex songs, and its tendency to sing them throughout winter, has earned it the title of “King of Birds.” But on December 26, the king is dead. Wren Day is a traditional hunting of the wren, followed by celebrations that include disguise, door-to-door visiting and parading, and song. It’s certainly one of our most strange and mys...

One by one, over a series of nights during Christmastime in Iceland, the Yule Lads come down from a mountain, making mischief, rewarding good behavior and punishing bad. These lovable scamps are unique melding of folkloric traditions, and a reminder that Christmas once was — and still can be — haunted and scary. Terry Gunnell, professor emeritus of folkloristics at the University of Iceland, joins Brian to tell the story. Thanks al...

Ded Moroz ("Grandfather Frost"), went from folk tale to fairy tale, from beloved symbol of Christmas to exile, and then back to beloved symbol, all in surprisingly short order. It’s a story of ups and downs, set against the backdrop of a violent social and political revolution, and which resulted in a strange stint as the “Soviet Santa Claus.” 

Karen Petrone, University of Kentucky history professor and author of Life Has ...

Once again it’s time for one of my favorite traditions here on Christmas Past: dedicating an entire episode to you and your Christmas memories! I love these little glimpses into other people’s lives, families, memories, and all the different ways that Christmas can be celebrated and loved and made special and personal. So, get cozy. You’re invited to another Christmas Past family gathering, and trip down memory lane. 

Music in this ...

For a long time, ivy conjured images of all things pagan, superstitious, gluttonous, debauched, and morbid. For those reasons, it would be forbidden from churches and Christian homes. Today, it's a classic symbol of Christmas. Sue Hunter joins Brian to tell this uniquely Christmassy turnaround story. 

Thank you to composer Sarah Cattley for permission to share the beautiful rendition of "Ivy, Chief of Trees it Is," pe...

Forty years ago, audiences got into the Christmas spirit by watching a little green creature get killed in a blender. Gremlins was more than a movie that combined horror, comedy, gory violence, and Christmas. It was a massive a pop culture phenomenon, and one of the last movies of its kind to be rated PG. Alonso Duralde, film critic, podcaster, and author of Have Yourself a Movie Little Christmas and Hollywood Pride joins Brian to ...

If Christmas commemorates the birth of Jesus, and we celebrate it on December 25, then Jesus must have been born on that day, right? Not so fast! We actually have no good idea when Jesus was born. And besides, the observance of his birth on December 25 is a 4th century contrivance. But why December 25 of all days? In today's episode, professor and author Michael Foley joins Brian to make sense of it all.

Get a copy o...

Who doesn't love a parade? The very idea of a procession, usually involving costumes and music, is at least 4,000 years old. But grand parades to kick off the Christmas season are much newer. The kind we're most familiar with nowadays developed when large retail chains held parades to stimulate shopping and define a new, earlier start to the Christmas season. All that capitalism sounds very American, but — surprise! — Can...

The three kings. The wise men. The magi. They're the supporting cast in many a Nativity scene...the subject of several postage stamps and greeting cards...the subject of that classic Christmas song. Who were they? Where were they from? Why did they traverse afar following yonder star? What was with the gold, frankincense, and myrrh? Were they even real? And does it matter? Today, professor and author Eric Vanden Eykel joins Br...

The creative team of Rankin and Bass have produced some of the most enduring, nostalgia-producing Christmas specials in television history. Historian and biographer Rick Goldschmidt joins Brian to tell the story of how an art director and an ad jingle writer became "the kings of Christmas."

Links

• More info about Rankin/Bass and Rick Goldschmidt
• Rick's books about Rankin/Bass

Music in this episode

• "Kettle...

The more than 75-year success story of Toys for Tots may seem like a fairly simple story: the Marine Corp reserve starts up a holiday charity for needy kids. But there’s more to it than that. From humble, almost accidental beginnings in 1947, the program was able to grow through a unique mix of show business connections, celebrity endorsements, political influence, post World War II America, and...Walt Disney. 

Music in this episode

A lot of people complain that Christmas comes earlier every year. But, is that really true? Extended holiday shopping seasons have been the norm for well over a century. And besides, there's one big (and spooooky) reason that Christmas can only come so early. Marketing professor Darrin Duber-Smith joins Brian to discuss the phenomenon of "Christmas creep."

Music in this episode

• "Silent Movie (Old Record Versio...

Danny Pellegrino is a bestselling author, actor, and screenwriter. His latest book, The Jolliest Bunch: Unhinged Holiday Stories, is a nostalgic trip through his most festive memories in a collection of stories that are heartfelt, hilarious, and — for better or worse — true. I caught up with Danny earlier this year to talk about the book, Christmas, family, and more. 

Music in this episode

"Christmas Jazzy Bells" — BFMC Mus...

Actor John Rhys-Davies (Lord of the Rings, Indiana Jones) joins Brian to discuss Scrooge, A Christmas Carol. Rhys-Davies plays Dickens's narrator in this four-part audio drama podcast, set for re-release on November 22. 

Music in this episode

"O Holy Night" — Calvin Clavier, via Pixabay

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• Bluesky
• Twitter / X
• Email: christmaspastpodcast@gmail.com
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We're in the early Christmas preseason. It's the perfect time to discover some new Christmas music before the radio stations start overplaying the standard set of classics. In this episode, we've got some new-to-you Christmas songs from independent artists you may not have otherwise discovered on your favorite station or streaming service.

Music in this episode

• "Cozy Jazz Podcast Music with Christmas Bells&quo...

Happy Halloween, everybody! And more than that: welcome to another season of Christmas Past.

Yes, it’s still Halloween. But that's the perfect time to kick things off, because it gives us a chance to honor the classic Christmas tradition of sharing a ghost story. Our Victorian forebears really loved their ghost stories — for all occasions, but perhaps especially for Christmas. Many magazines of the era published ghos...

It's our eighth consecutive Christmas together. As we close out the 2023 season, we're taking a look back at the news and trends that made this Christmas what it was.

Here in America, the day after Christmas is simply that: the day after. The party's over. But in England, it's an official holiday. December 26 — Boxing Day — is the Christmas afterparty you've been missing out on. What's the story? And what does it have to do with boxing? Paul Kerensa joins Christmas Past to...unpack the box.  

Mentioned in this Episode

• Paul Kerensa
• Hark! The Biography of Christmas, by Paul Ke...

Christmas Day is less than a week from now. In this final stretch of the 2023 season, let's have another gathering of the Christmas Past family. Yes, it’s time once again for an episode dedicated just to you and your Christmas memories. Cozy up by the fire with us for a little Christmas reminiscing.