Claim OwnershipChristmas Past
Subscribed: 1,506Played: 65,299
Subscribe
© 2025 Christmas Past
Description
Behind every Christmas tradition is a story, often a forgotten one. Every year as we put up a tree and pour the eggnog, we’re continuing generations-old narratives, while being mostly unaware of their starting chapters.
Join Brian Earl to explore the fascinating stories behind the most wonderful time of the year. It's equal parts nerdy deep dive and warmhearted celebration. Think: NPR meets Clement Clarke Moore!
Christmas Past is one of the longest running Christmas podcasts, now in its tenth season. Vanity Fair says: "With excellent production, engaging narration, and short, digestible running times, Christmas Past is perfect to put on while decorating your tree or preparing Christmas dinner."
Brian is the author of two books about Christmas: Of Christmases Long, Long Ago: Surprising Traditions from Christmas Past (2025) and Christmas Past: The Fascinating Stories Behind Our Favorite Holiday's Traditions (2022). Both are available in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook (narrated by the author). Find them wherever books are sold.
228 Episodes
Reverse
Today, we welcome back a frequent guest on Christmas Past. Thomas Ruys Smith is a professor of American literature and culture at the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom. He’s also a frequent guest on Christmas Past and the author of several books about Christmas history and literature. His latest is Searching for Santa Claus: An Anthology of the Poems, Stories, and Illustrations that Shaped a Global Icon. Music in this Episode "Jazz Christmas Music" — Pulsebox, via Pixabay ...
Today, I'm talking to Alonso Duralde, film critic, podcaster, and author of Have Yourself a Movie Little Christmas (2nd Edition). Music in this episode "Our Minds Following" — Blue Dot Sessions, via Free Music Archive Order your copy today! Of Christmases Long, Long Ago Connect with Me Links to all the things https://christmaspastpodcast.com/links Email: christmaspastpodcast@gmail.com Books Of Christmases Long, Long Ago: Surprising Traditions from Christmas Past (2025, Lyons Press a...
Happy Halloween, everyone! 👻🎃 And welcome to the 2025 pre-season for Christmas Past. For the past several years now, we've kicked off the pre-season with a ghost story from my friends at Biblioasis Publishing. They publish a series of three ghost stories for Christmas every year, beautifully designed and illustrated by the acclaimed artist known only as Seth. Today, I'm narrating Rosemary Temperley's short story, "The Mistress in Black." Check These Out 🎄 Biblioasis Publishing's Ghost Stories...
The big day is here, and so is our final episode of 2024. As we so do every year, we'll take a look back at all the news, trends, sights, and sounds that made this Christmas what it was. We'll also hear some Christmas memories from the Christmas Past family. Thank you for another wonderful season. I'll see you next year. Merry Christmas! Music in this episode "Jazz Podcast Night Relaxing Vibes" — Denis Pavlov, via Pixabay"Wish Background" — Kevin MacLeod, via Incompetech"Calm Piano Music" — P...
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 mysterious Christmas customs, a mixture of Celtic mythology, old ...
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 also to Baldur Gylfa for appearing in this episode! Music in thi...
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 Become More Joyous, Comrades, joins Brian to tell the story. ...
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 episode "Cozy Jazz Podcast Music with Christmas Bells" —...
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," performed by the Granta Chorale and conducted by Janet Wheeler. Mu...
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 discuss this iconic 80's hit. Music in this episode...
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 of Dr. Foley's book, Why We Kiss Under the Mistletoe. Music in this episode ...
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! — Canada beat us to it! In today's episode, Clayton Charters, president and C...
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 Brian to tell the story of these mysterious figures. Check out ...
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 GoldschmidtRick's books about Rankin/BassMusic in this episode "Kettled" — Blue Dot Sessions, via Free Music Archive"Soft Piano" — Anastasia Kir, via Pixabay"O Ho...
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 "Lullaby" — Maarten Schellekens, via Free Music Archive...
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 Version)" — Anastasia Kir, via Pixabay"Deck the Hall Jazz" — Anastasia Kir, via Pixabay"Am...
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 Music, via Pixabay Order your copy today! Of Christmases Long, ...
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 Order your copy today! Of Christmases Long, Long Ago Connect with Me Links to all the things https://christmaspastpodcast.com/links Email: christmaspastpodcast@gmail.com Books Of Christmases Lon...
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" — Denis Pavlov, via Pixabay"Christmas Cheer" — Robert Lawlor"Vermont Christmas" — The ...
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 ghost stories specifically for the Christmas season. The stories didn’t necessa...
Download from Google Play
Download from App Store
United States
$100 Registration Bonus Eksklusibo sa jet!
Maging Miyembro ng daddy at Makatanggap ng $100 Agad!
Magsimula sa fresh: Makakuha ng $100 Welcome Bonus!
sherbet Registration Bonus: Libreng $100 Para sa Mga Bagong User!
Magparehistro sa supernova at Makakuha ng $100 Bonus Kaagad!
Magparehistro sa supernova at Makakuha ng $100 Bonus Kaagad!
Sumali sa jazz Ngayon at Kumuha ng $100 Welcome Bonus!
Sumali sa jazz Ngayon at Kumuha ng $100 Welcome Bonus!
Simulan ang Iyong Paglalaro sa 500 casino na may Libreng $100 Bonus!
$100 Bonus Agad Para sa Mga Bagong User ng highway!
Bagong User? Sumali sa sol at Makatanggap ng $100 Bonus!
Makakuha ng $100 Bonus Kapag Nagparehistro sa exclusive Ngayon!
Ao solicitar um saque na 777luc bet - https://casinoonline-br.com/777luc-bet/, você precisará enviar dados bancários, além de uma cópia do seu documento de identidade. A plataforma é altamente segura e garante que todos os fundos sejam protegidos, utilizando criptografia para prevenir qualquer tipo de fraude ou roubo de dados.
A br89 bet - https://casinoonline-br.com/br89-bet/ garante a segurança dos seus saques exigindo que os usuários enviem dados como informações bancárias e um documento com foto. Todos os dados são protegidos por criptografia avançada, assegurando que seus fundos sejam transferidos de maneira rápida e sem riscos.
Sacar seus ganhos na esttela bet - https://casinoonline-br.com/esttela-bet/ é fácil, mas você precisará fornecer alguns dados essenciais, como número de conta bancária e documentos de identidade. A plataforma usa criptografia de ponta para garantir que todas as transações sejam feitas de forma segura e eficiente.
Na hora de sacar seus ganhos na dc casino - https://casinoonline-br.com/dc-casino/, será necessário enviar alguns dados como número da sua conta bancária e um documento oficial. A plataforma adota altos padrões de segurança para garantir que suas informações financeiras e pessoais estejam sempre protegidas.
Para retirar dinheiro na t89 bet - https://casinoonline-br.com/t89-bet/, você precisa fornecer dados como informações bancárias e um documento de identificação. A plataforma utiliza criptografia de alto nível para proteger suas transações e garantir que seus fundos sejam transferidos de forma rápida e sem riscos.
Se você deseja sacar seus ganhos na apk pix bet - https://casinoonline-br.com/apk-pix-bet/, será necessário enviar dados como informações bancárias ou de carteira digital e um documento oficial com foto. A plataforma garante a segurança das suas transações financeiras, utilizando sistemas de proteção de dados que asseguram rapidez e segurança.
Ao realizar um saque na 31bet - https://casinoonline-br.com/31bet/, o usuário deve fornecer dados como número da conta bancária ou dados de e-wallet e um documento de identidade. A plataforma se destaca pela segurança das transações, usando tecnologia de criptografia para proteger seus dados financeiros e pessoais.
Para sacar na casino spelen - https://casinoonline-br.com/casino-spelen/, você precisará enviar informações bancárias e um documento de identificação com foto. A plataforma assegura a segurança das transações com tecnologia de criptografia de alto nível, garantindo que seus fundos sejam transferidos de forma rápida e protegida.