Join Christmas Past one last time in the 2022 season. It's our annual look back at the sights, sounds, news, and trends that made Christmas of 2022 what it was.
Merry Christmas to all, and many thanks for being part of the 2022 season of Christmas Past.
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They're the spiced cookie with the funny sounding (to American ears) name. Pfeffernusse — or, "pepper nuts" in English — contain neither pepper nor nuts. And for centuries, the original recipe has been a closely guarded secret. Baker and podcaster Glen Warren joins me in this episode.
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Those decorative tins filled with three kinds of popcorn have been a Christmas staple for decades. But...why? In this episode, we find out — by asking the guy responsible for the whole thing!
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It's fluffy, sweet, and studded with raisins and candied fruit peel. It's the Italian Christmas cake known as Panettone. Get ready to talk with your hands, along with me and Max Miller of Tasting History as we dig in.
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Cozy up with the Christmas Past family for some reminiscing! It's one of our favorite annual traditions...where I turn things over to you and let you guide my sleigh tonight on a trip down memory lane!
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Most of the classic American Christmas songs come from the 1940s. What was it about that decade that accounts for an explosion of Christmas music that's stood the test of time? What is it about those songs that sounds so Christmassy? And why are Christmas classics so few and far between in recent generations? Join me and Berklee College of Music professor Chris North to dive in!
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Strictly speaking, a Christmas carol is a song that tells the Nativity story. That's what made Edmund Sears's song, "It Came Upon the Midnight Clear" so unusual when he wrote it. It didn't tell the story of Jesus's birth; it told the story of how people reacted to the news. This "humanist carol" arrived at a time when music itself was in the midst of some major changes.
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They're the festive party favors containing a paper crown, a trinket, and a joke — and wrapped in a package that goes "bang" when you open it! Christmas Crackers are an invention of the Victorian age. And more specifically, one confectioner named Tom Smith. Smith single handedly created a tradition that has endured for generations.
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"Father Christmas"...that's what they call Santa Claus in England, right? Well, sort of, but there's more to it than that. Join me and guest professor Gerry Bowler to look into the origins of this often misunderstood Christmas character.
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It's the theater experience that's as rollicking and raucous as it is festive! And it's also mostly unknown to American audiences. Join Brian in this episode to hear all about the British tradition of Pantomime.
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Since the early 1930s, Rockefeller Center has been home to an enormous Christmas tree, elaborately decorated and introduced each season with great fanfare and spectacle. The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree has become America's Christmas tree. Christine Roussel, the official Archivist of Rockefeller Center, joins Brian to tell the tale of this iconic institution.
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They were a symbol of the Space Age and then, quickly, they were a relic of the past. Aluminum Christmas trees burst onto the Christmas scene in the late 1950s and reached peak popularity during the 60s. And then...they were gone. But a new generation is discovering the kitschy, retro charm of this uniquely American invention.
The Evergleam Book, by Theron Georges
Theron Georges's Aluminum Christmas Tree displays
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It's the universal symbol of the Christmas season: a tree (typically a fir) adorned with ornaments and lights. But...what does any of that have to do with Christmas? The Christmas tree has a long history. But only fairly recently has it become especially common in homes at Christmas time.
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We're officially kicking off the 2022 season of Christmas Past with a Thanksgiving family gathering, a return to a beloved Bay Area tradition, and a visit to the Cratchit family in London. Cozy up by the fire and welcome the festive season with the entire Christmas Past family.
Many thanks to Denise Lamott, Therese Porter, Kevin Patterson, and everyone at The Great Dickens Christmas Fair for making this episode possible.
"The Winter Fall by PrabajithK" — Mild Relaxation, via Pixabay
"Relaxing Piano Music" — Kevin MacLeod, via Incompetech
"Peace and Comfort" — Dee Yan-Key, via Free Music Archive
"This Christmas" — Hot Music, via Pixabay
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Yes, we return to our traditional favorite songs each year. But there's nothing like discovering a new favorite! If you believe that too, then you're in for a treat! Here are seven Christmas songs from independent musicians to make your days a little merrier and brighter sounding.
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It's an annual tradition on Christmas Past: The game of Christmas trivia where you have to spot the lie! Join Todd Killian from Christmas Clatter and I as we quiz listeners Ashley and Laura about Christmas in the 1940s, 50s, 60s, and 70s. Play along and put your Christmas spirit and lie detection skills to the test!
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Those of a certain age remember those classic C7 incandescent Christmas bulbs and the soft glow they produced. Sure, LEDs are longer lasting and more energy efficient, but they're just not the same. Michigan artist David Andora is the founder of Tru-Tone, a maker of LED lights that are indistinguishable from the real thing. I recently spoke with David about the company's unlikely origins, its recent viral success, and a certain music star who was blamed for cleaning out their inventory.
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Happy Halloween, sugarplums! What better way to get into the spooky Christmas spirit than discussing Christmas monsters? Better yet, I'm doing it with a monster expert! Emily Zarka ("Dr. Z") is a professor of English Literature, and the host of the acclaimed PBS series, Monstrum and Exhumed. Join me (if you daaaaare) for an informative discussion about Krampus and the Yule Cat.
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In today's story, our hero finds himself stranded on Christmas Eve, alone in an abandoned ship. But is he really alone? It's "Christmas Eve on a Haunted Hulk," published by Biblioasis, and illustrated by the acclaimed cartoonist, Seth.
http://biblioasis.com/product-category/fiction/seths-christmas-ghost-stories/
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Time for another ghost story! This one is more sentimental than spooky. It's The Corner Shop, in which a man buys a trinket in a curio shop that turns out to be worth a lot more than he bargained for. It's part of this year's series of ghost stories for Christmas from my friends at Biblioasis.
http://biblioasis.com/product-category/fiction/seths-christmas-ghost-stories/
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It's story time once again. Snuggle up, but beware of things that go bump in the night! Today, we're taking a trip of the imagination to a cemetery in France. The dead there are resting peacefully, until a new railway wakes them up! An old priest tries to help them return to rest while he helps the soul of a recently dead countess to find peace. It's Gertrude Atherton's "The Dead and the Countess."
This story is part of Biblioasis's 2022 set of Ghost Stories for Christmas, designed and decorated by the acclaimed cartoonist known only as Seth.
Biblioasis Ghost Stories for Christmas: 2022 Edition
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Christmas Past is back with the first episode of 2022. We're kicking off the preseason with some good old fashioned story time! This one's for the whole family, so gather round and cozy up...we're heading to the Hollow Tree in for some old fashioned Christmas fun!
The Christmas Past book is available for pre-order today, and releases on November 1. Get it in hardcover, e-book, or audio. And remember...it makes a great gift!
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