In a few short days, Christmas of 2018 will belong to Christmas Past. So in this final episode of the 2018 Christmas season, Brian looks back at some of the news and trends that defined this year's Christmas. There's also a little year-end wrap up for the show and the world of Christmas podcasts in general.
Thank you all for being part of the 2018 season of Christmas Past! Everyone who listened, told a friend, shared a memory, participated in the Facebook group, and engaged on other social media.
I wish you all a very merry Christmas!
Music in this Episode
"Deck the Hall B" - Kevin MacLeod, via Incompetech
It's my favorite episode of the Christmas season: the one dedicated to you sharing your favorite Christmas memories and traditions. Thank you to everyone to shared a part of their Christmas with us in this episode!
Music in this episode
"Night Light" - Blue Dot Sessions, via Free Music Archive
Visit http://christmaspast.media for more Christmas fun!
In this bonus episode, Brian answers questions from the listener mailbag, and we also here a a few Christmas memories.
Music in this episode
"Relaxing Piano Music" - Kevin MacLeod, via Incompetech
In 1955, a misplaced phone call unwittingly created an annual Christmas tradition. It's a story shrouded in a bit of mystery, a lot of Christmas spirit, and a sworn duty to ensure Santa’s safe passage through open airspace. Find out why NORAD tracks Santa on Christmas Eve.
Music in this episode
Shortly after Thanksgiving, certain cable news and talk radio pundits remind you that it’s that it’s time once again to be outraged. Because sinister forces are working to take Christmas away from you. Is there really a war on Christmas? Listen to this episode and then judge for yourself.
Music in this episode
Rate Christmas Past on Apple Podcasts, and I'll send you a sticker to say thanks. After leaving your review, get in touch through the contact page at http://christmaspast.media/contact and let me know your Apple Podcasts username and an address where you can receive your sticker.
Follow Christmas Past on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Christmas Past is a proud member of the Christmas Podcast Network, a collection of the best Christmas shows around.
Usually on Christmas Past, I share your Christmas memories. But this episode is dedicated to me sharing one of mine. It’s a memory you have too, in some form, because it’s inevitable for everyone who grows up celebrating Christmas and believing in Santa Claus. It should go without saying that this episode is for the grownups only!
Music in this episode
"Relaxing Piano Music" — Kevin MacLeod, via Incompetech
Rate Christmas Past on Apple Podcasts, and I'll send you a sticker to say thanks. After leaving your review, get in touch through the contact page at http://christmaspast.media/contact and let me know your Apple Podcasts username and an address where you can receive your sticker.
Follow Christmas Past on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Christmas Past is a proud member of the Christmas Podcast Network, a collection of the best Christmas shows around.
Twelve days of Christmas? What's up with that? And who ever thought turtle doves and partridges make good Christmas gifts? (Come to think of it, just what the heck is a turtle dove?) We'll get to the bottom of it all with the help of language professor Mark Sundaram.
Music in this episode
Welcome to Tinsel Town is a new Christmas adventure podcast that arrived on Thanksgiving Day. Join me as I talk to Jenna Knorr and Adam Ganong to discuss the making of a new audio drama. And then check out their show wherever you get podcasts, or https://trianglecontent.com/podcasts/welcometotinseltown/
Music in this Episode
Rate Christmas Past on Apple Podcasts, and I'll send you a sticker to say thanks. After leaving your review, get in touch through the contact page at http://christmaspast.media/contact and let me know your Apple Podcasts username and an address where you can receive your sticker.
Follow Christmas Past on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Christmas Past is a proud member of the Christmas Podcast Network, a collection of the best Christmas shows around.
Few things are more Christmassy than the flickering glow of a log on the fire. Even when that fire is experienced on a TV or device screen, it still conjures up a cozy and festive atmosphere. A New York city TV station introduced the televised Yule Log in 1966. What began as a quirky experiment would eventually take on a life of its own!
Music in this Episode
Rate Christmas Past on Apple Podcasts, and I'll send you a sticker to say thanks. After leaving your review, get in touch through the contact page at http://christmaspast.media/contact and let me know your Apple Podcasts username and an address where you can receive your sticker.
Follow Christmas Past on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Christmas Past is a proud member of the Christmas Podcast Network, a collection of the best Christmas shows around.
Miracle on 34th Street doesn't fit today's standards for what makes a movie Christmassy. It involved a cynical child and a Santa Claus who gets locked up in a mental health institution before undergoing a public psych hearing. Not only that, but the movie was released in June of 1947. And yet, it has gone on to become not only a beloved movie, but also a cherished tradition. How did that happen? We'll find out with the help of film critic Alonso Duralde.
Music in this episode
Rate Christmas Past on Apple Podcasts, and I'll send you a sticker to say thanks. After leaving your review, get in touch through the contact page at http://christmaspast.media/contact and let me know your Apple Podcasts username and an address where you can receive your sticker.
Follow Christmas Past on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Christmas Past is a proud member of the Christmas Podcast Network, a collection of the best Christmas shows around.
It's the Christmas cake we love to hate. But why? How did a cake steeped in history and tradition, tied closely to the Christmas celebration (and often soaked in booze, no less) go on to become so widely mocked?
Music in this Episode:
Rate Christmas Past on Apple Podcasts, and I'll send you a sticker to say thanks. After leaving your review, get in touch through the contact page at http://christmaspast.media/contact and let me know your Apple Podcasts username and an address where you can receive your sticker.
Follow Christmas Past on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Christmas Past is a proud member of the Christmas Podcast Network, a collection of the best Christmas shows around.
Christmas wouldn't be the same without the influence of Charles Dickens and his most famous work: A Christmas Carol. Some have even gone as far as saying he basically "invented" Christmas as we know it today. So...did he? In this episode, I get answers from the man himself!
Music in this Episode:
Rate Christmas Past on Apple Podcasts, and I'll send you a sticker to say thanks. After leaving your review, get in touch through the contact page at http://christmaspast.media/contact and let me know your Apple Podcasts username and an address where you can receive your sticker.
Follow Christmas Past on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Christmas Past is a proud member of the Christmas Podcast Network, a collection of the best Christmas shows around.
Have you ever wondered why we say "merry Christmas" and not "happy Christmas"? And why the word "merry" seems to exist nowadays only to be used for spreading holiday cheer? We'll get it sorted out with the help of linguist Arika Okrent.
Music in this Episode:
Rate Christmas Past on Apple Podcasts, and I'll send you a sticker to say thanks. After leaving your review, get in touch through the contact page at http://christmaspast.media/contact and let me know your Apple Podcasts username and an address where you can receive your sticker.
Follow Christmas Past on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Christmas Past is a proud member of the Christmas Podcast Network, a collection of the best Christmas shows around.
We're kicking off the 2018 season with a Thanksgiving family gathering of Christmas podcasters. Join members of the Christmas Podcast Network as we share our thoughts about one of our favorite topics: Christmas music!
Thanks to these great podcasts for lending their voices:
And a shout out to the rest of the Christmas Podcast Network shows:
Find out more about each show at http://www.christmaspodcastnetwork.com
Music in this episode
Night Light by Blue Dot Sessions
Christmas Past will be back again on Thanksgiving Day to kick off the 2018 season. You can expect an episode to arrive every few days all the way up till Christmas day. Join me for more of the fascinating backstories behind your favorite Christmas traditions and of course more of your Christmas memories. It’s not too late to be on the show this season. Record a voice memo on your phone and send it to christmaspastpodcast@gmail.com. Or leave a voicemail on my google voice line at 650-394-7162.
Come to the http://christmaspast.media for articles, quizzes, videos, and much more, including links to the new Facebook group and YouTube channel.
Subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts. And if you leave a review on Apple Podcasts / iTunes, I'll send you a sticker to say thanks. Email me for details.
See you on Thanksgiving Day!
Music in this episode
Silver by Blue Dot Sessions, via Free Music Archive
This Halloween, Christmas Past is masquerading as one of my favorite podcasts: Tis the Podcast. Hosts Anthony and Julia join me for a Halloween crossover as we discuss everyone's favorite ghost story: A Christmas Carol. We cover the 1984 made-for-TV version starring George C. Scott.
Tis the Podcast co-host Thom was with us in spirit (as in the spirit of Christmas Future), because he was busy working on a surprise. My lips are sealed for now, but I'll have more to say about that sometime soon.
Music in this episode
Turning by Blue Dot Sessions, via Free Music Archive
It's the basis for summer sales, Hallmark movie marathons, and memes and hashtags strewn across social media. But what exactly is Christmas in July? And where did it come from?
Be sure to follow Christmas Past on social media. I'm posting fun extra Christmassy content on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. I also sometimes post things to Pinterest. You can send me messages in any of those places, or you can write me at christmaspastpodcast AT gmail DOT COM. I reply to every email I get!
You can subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts, like iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, and TuneIn. If you're on an Android device, the simplest way to subscribe may be right here.
And please rate and review the show on iTunes. It's a quick and painless way to show support. It takes less than a minute, and it helps more people find the show.