In this special festive bonus episode, Liam & guests discuss their own personal Christmas traditions, their favourite screen Santa Claus and what, if anything, we would change or add to the myth of Santa.

Happy holidays everyone!

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Special guest for this episode:

• Thomas Ruys Smith, Professor of American Literature and Culture and Deputy Director of Area Studies at the University of East Anglia, and author of The Last Gift: The Christmas Stories of Mary E. Wilkins Freeman.
• Brian Earl, creator and host of Christmas Past

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Highlights from this episode:

• The importance of traditions like Santa Claus in family celebrations.
• Brian explains the Christmas Goose.
• Tom reflects on the evolution of Santa Claus in modern holiday culture and media.
• How children's understanding of Santa changes as they grow older.
• The fleeting nature of childhood magic during Christmas celebrations.
• The portrayal of Mrs. Claus and her evolving role.

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And if you like this episode, you might also love:

What is the War on Christmas?

How to Make a Hollywood Christmas Movie

What's the History of Christmas in America?

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Mentioned in this episode:

This episode is sponsored by What's Your Map

What's Your Map is the British Podcast Award-winning show from map expert Professor Jerry Brotton. In each episode, he invites a special guest to share a map that means something to them. It's a fascinating show, and you can listen to the new season right now: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/whats-your-map/id1766500219

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