It's time to bundle up, practice our French, and watch out for moose! We're learning all about having a joyeux Noel in Canada with Chantelle Joy from All Things Christmas . This is the first official episode of the new monthly Christmas Around the World series. Connect Facebook page Facebook group Instagram Bluesky Twitter / X Email: christmaspastpodcast@gmail.com Website Book Christmas Past: The Fascinating Stories Behind Our Favorite Holiday's Traditions makes a great gift for all the Christma...
Jan 01, 2020•10 min
Another Christmas in the books! By the time you see this, Christmas of 2019 belongs to Christmas Past. We close out the "official" Christmas season as we've done for four years in a row. It's our annual look back at the news and trends that made Christmas of 2019 what it was. We also do a little year-in-review for the podcast, and take a look ahead to what 202 has in store. Thank you all for making the 2019 season the biggest and best yet for Christmas Past! From the bottom of my heart, I'm wish...
Dec 25, 2019•9 min
It's my favorite episode of the year: the one that's all about YOU! For the third year in a row, I've received more memories from you than I had episodes to put them in. So that means I once again have the special privilege of brining you an episodes filled with your Christmas memories. Thanks to everyone who shared a Christmas memory in this episode and throughout the season. These little glimpses into your Christmas past are what makes the show special...and makes Christmas itself special too....
Dec 23, 2019•19 min
No Christmas story starts out as a classic. And the road to classic status is often a long one filled with unexpected turns. It's a Wonderful Life wasn't a big success when it debuted in 1947. It wasn't until a quirk of American copyright law gave it a second life on television in the 1970s that it earned its place as a cornerstone of Christmas cinema. Movie critic and author Alonso Duralde joins in this episode. Links Have Yourself a Movie Little Christmas , by Alonso Duralde Music " Bipolar Ch...
Dec 20, 2019•11 min
Yes, it's the most famous newspaper editorial of all. It's also the untold story of two skeptics addressing disillusionment, and the iconic statement on the magic of childhood, and belief, and Christmas that resulted. Links The Marvelous and the Mundane Anthony Barthel Jack Billings Presents: Me and my Neighbor, Michael The Newseum Music in this episode " Fig Leaf Rag " — Kevin MacLeod, via Incompetech " Golden Hour " — Podington Bear, via Free Music Archive " We Wish you a Merry Christmas " — D...
Dec 18, 2019•12 min
We've treated mistletoe specially for thousands of years. But how did it go from being an ancient medicine and superstitious talisman to a festive—and smoochy —Christmas custom? Links Kiss Me Mistletoe Farm Music in this episode " Nostalgic Resonance " — Scott Holmes, via Free Music Archive " The Little Drummer Boy " — Don Maue, shared directly by the artist " Careless Morning " — Blue Dot Sessions, via Free Music Archive “ Wish Background ” — Kevin MacLeod, via Incompetech Connect Facebook page...
Dec 16, 2019•10 min
We're back for the fourth and final part of this special four part miniseries. Rikki Meece from the Sleigh Bells & Mistletoe Christmas Podcast narrates the classic story, When the Yule Log Burns, by Leona Dalrymple. Episodes arrive on four consecutive days starting December 12. Connect Facebook page Facebook group Instagram Bluesky Twitter / X Email: christmaspastpodcast@gmail.com Website Book Christmas Past: The Fascinating Stories Behind Our Favorite Holiday's Traditions makes a great gift...
Dec 15, 2019•19 min
We're back for part three of this special four part miniseries. Rikki Meece from the Sleigh Bells & Mistletoe Christmas Podcast narrates the classic story, When the Yule Log Burns, by Leona Dalrymple. Episodes arrive on four consecutive days starting December 12. Connect Facebook page Facebook group Instagram Bluesky Twitter / X Email: christmaspastpodcast@gmail.com Website Book Christmas Past: The Fascinating Stories Behind Our Favorite Holiday's Traditions makes a great gift for all the Ch...
Dec 14, 2019•18 min
We're back for part two of this special four part miniseries. Rikki Meece from the Sleigh Bells & Mistletoe Christmas Podcast narrates the classic story, When the Yule Log Burns, by Leona Dalrymple. Episodes arrive on four consecutive days starting December 12. Connect Facebook page Facebook group Instagram Bluesky Twitter / X Email: christmaspastpodcast@gmail.com Website Book Christmas Past: The Fascinating Stories Behind Our Favorite Holiday's Traditions makes a great gift for all the Chri...
Dec 13, 2019•22 min
In this special bonus miniseries, Rikki Meece from the Sleigh Bells & Mistletoe Christmas Podcast narrates the classic story, When the Yule Log Burns, by Leona Dalrymple. This is a four-part miniseries, with episodes arriving on four consecutive days starting December 12. Connect Facebook page Facebook group Instagram Bluesky Twitter / X Email: christmaspastpodcast@gmail.com Website Book Christmas Past: The Fascinating Stories Behind Our Favorite Holiday's Traditions makes a great gift for a...
Dec 12, 2019•21 min
It's the best known Christmas song in the world, but the story behind it less well known. Maybe that's because so many myths, legends, and half truths have been added to the origin story over the years. With the help of Wayne Bronner of Bronner's Christmas Wonderland, we'll go back to 1818 for the birth of an accidental Christmas hymn and its unlikely ascent to history's most recorded song in any genre. Links Bronner's Christmas Wonderland in Frankenmuth, Michigan The Silent Night chapel in Ober...
Dec 10, 2019•10 min
We’re taking a trip back to the 80s. It was a time when it was not only possible, but likely, that any popular toy would have its own line of spinoff merchandise, a breakfast cereal, and a Saturday morning cartoon. And if it was popular enough…it got a Christmas special. 1985 gave us The Glo Friends Save Christmas. A half-hour special in which the Glo Friends must save Santa Claus from the clutches of an evil witch who’s determined to stop Christmas. I recently caught up with some of my Christma...
Dec 08, 2019•52 min
The traditional Christmas dinner of a turkey, potatoes, green beans, and fruit pie has been around for nearly two hundred years. But why? The story of how we got here is one of ancient winter feasting, agricultural societies, socio-economics, religion, a pig that’s technically a fish, and turkeys on stagecoaches. In this episode, Brian and historian Judith Flanders explore why the standard Christmas dinner is stuck in a nineteenth century time warp. Links Christmas: A Biography by Judith Flander...
Dec 07, 2019•13 min
Here on Christmas Past, I dig in to the backstories behind Christmas traditions. But what happens when you can’t even verify that the thing you’re researching even is a tradition? That’s what happened when I started looking into the Christmas Pickle. You’ve probably seen pickle tree ornaments, or maybe seen posts about them in your social media feeds. The story goes that it’s an old German tradition. But…the more you dig in, the more you have to wonder. Well, luckily someone else has done the he...
Dec 05, 2019•42 min
Nowadays our Christmas stories are mainly warm and cozy. They’re about reunions and homecomings. Romances and magical journeys and visits from St. Nicholas. But not so very long ago, and especially for the Victorians, Christmas stories could also send chills down your spine and make you think twice about things that go bump in the night. In this episode, professor Tara Moore tells Brian about this creepy part of Christmas history. Plus, Brian reads the ghost story, The Strange Christmas Game. Li...
Dec 04, 2019•24 min
Barbara Hinske is an attorney turned full-time novelist. Her 2016 novella, The Christmas Club is the basis for the 2019 Hallmark Channel movie of the same name. In this Ber Months Bonus episode, Brian and Barbara discuss writing, Christmas stories, Hallmark movies, and much more. Music in this episode " Deck the Halls A " — Kevin MacLeod, via Incompetech Announcements There’s still time to get tickets for Christmas Land in Los Angeles on December 15 A Christmas in July convention is in the works...
Dec 02, 2019•20 min
It's Christmas Past's first live show! Join Tim Babb from Can't Wait for Christmas and Brian Earl for an hour of games, music, and conversation, recorded outside the Great Dickens Christmas Fair in San Francisco. This is the first time the Dickens Fair has hosted a live podcast recording. About the fair The Great Dickens Christmas Fair is a one-of-a-kind holiday adventure into Victorian London - an elaborate party with hundreds of costumed players performing and interacting with patrons in over ...
Dec 01, 2019•50 min
At the turn of the 20th century, the idea of kids writing letters to Santa Claus was still new. Post offices, newspapers, and charities publicly disputed how to handle the letters. It was a logistical and public relations problem, which would take a clever plan to address. Connect Facebook page Facebook group Instagram Bluesky Twitter / X Email: christmaspastpodcast@gmail.com Website Book Christmas Past: The Fascinating Stories Behind Our Favorite Holiday's Traditions makes a great gift for all ...
Nov 28, 2019•25 min
John Gluck was a workaday customs broker who dreamed of bigger things. So when he heard that the Postal Service needed help with letters to Santa, he came forward with a plan to get the letters into the hands of donors. With a little help from a troop of boy scouts, John Gluck and his Santa Claus Association did the (seemingly) impossible. Connect Facebook page Facebook group Instagram Bluesky Twitter / X Email: christmaspastpodcast@gmail.com Website Book Christmas Past: The Fascinating Stories ...
Nov 28, 2019•21 min
What happens when a charitable endeavor starts looking more and more like an elaborate con? As Gluck sought to expand operations, he started playing fast and loose with the facts in order to raise money and hobnob with the rich and powerful. Connect Facebook page Facebook group Instagram Bluesky Twitter / X Email: christmaspastpodcast@gmail.com Website Book Christmas Past: The Fascinating Stories Behind Our Favorite Holiday's Traditions makes a great gift for all the Christmas lovers in your lif...
Nov 28, 2019•21 min
During the Great War, fraudulent wartime charities abounded in New York City. When the district attorney started a sweeping investigation, John Gluck found himself in his crosshairs. But that was just the beginning of his troubles. Connect Facebook page Facebook group Instagram Bluesky Twitter / X Email: christmaspastpodcast@gmail.com Website Book Christmas Past: The Fascinating Stories Behind Our Favorite Holiday's Traditions makes a great gift for all the Christmas lovers in your life. Availab...
Nov 28, 2019•21 min
You'd think that Gluck couldn't make things worse for himself...but you'd be wrong. He finds himself the subject of more investigations, and gets himself into hot water with the state Attorney General. But this isn't the end of the Santa Claus Association. But...that is coming. Connect Facebook page Facebook group Instagram Bluesky Twitter / X Email: christmaspastpodcast@gmail.com Website Book Christmas Past: The Fascinating Stories Behind Our Favorite Holiday's Traditions makes a great gift for...
Nov 28, 2019•22 min
In the early 20s, John Gluck wanted to reinvigorate the Santa Claus Association to its original glory, with the help of some high profile endorsements.But along the way, he crossed the one man who figures out the stunningly simple way to shut down Gluck once and for all. Connect Facebook page Facebook group Instagram Bluesky Twitter / X Email: christmaspastpodcast@gmail.com Website Book Christmas Past: The Fascinating Stories Behind Our Favorite Holiday's Traditions makes a great gift for all th...
Nov 28, 2019•23 min
I'm back with another Ber Months Bonus episode. Your favorite Christmas radio station may have you thinking that there are only about two dozen Christmas songs (mostly from the 1940s and 50s) worth listening to. Nonsense! In this episode, I share some new music worthy of your next Christmas playlist. Announcements There's still time to get tickets for Christmas Land in Los Angeles on December 15 A Christmas in July convention is in the works for 2020 in Nashville...and I'll be there! If you leav...
Nov 23, 2019•23 min
I'm back with another Ber Months Bonus episode. This week, I read the classic short story by Hans Christian Andersen: The Little Match Girl. Announcements Brian and Tim Babb from Can't Wait for Christmas will record a live episode on November 24 at the Great Dickens Christmas Fair in San Francisco There's still time to get tickets for Christmas Land in Los Angeles on December 15 A Christmas in July convention is in the works for 2020 in Nashville...and I'll be there! If you leave a review I’ll s...
Nov 18, 2019•10 min
I'm back with another Ber Months Bonus episode! This week, I'm taking you inside Christmas Con 2019. Announcements If you leave a review I’ll send you a Christmas card containing a Christmas Past sticker. Write me at christmaspastpodcast@gmail.com for details. Send your Christmas memory for the 2019 season. Record yourself on your phone’s voice recorder app and send it to the email address above. I’m doing a live show this year at the Great Dickens Christmas Fair in San Francisco in November. I’...
Nov 11, 2019•11 min
I'm back with another Ber Months Bonus episode! This time, I read you the short story "Keep it all the Year" by Sarah Tipper. You can find her short story collection, Tales to take you to Christmas , on Amazon. Announcements If you leave a review I’ll send you a Christmas card containing a Christmas Past sticker. Write me at christmaspastpodcast@gmail.com for details. Send your Christmas memory for the 2019 season. Record yourself on your phone’s voice recorder app and send it to the email addre...
Nov 02, 2019•12 min
I'm back with another Ber Months Bonus episode! This time, I have the honor of sharing an audio piece by Chantelle from All Things Christmas. Learn all about Christmas in Japan! And then, check out Chantelle's blog and YouTube channel . Announcements If you leave a review I’ll send you a Christmas card containing a Christmas Past sticker. Write me at christmaspastpodcast@gmail.com for details. Send your Christmas memory for the 2019 season. Record yourself on your phone’s voice recorder app and ...
Oct 28, 2019•14 min
I'm back with another Ber Months Bonus episode! This time, I read the 1921 short story, "A Christmas Adventure," by J. E. Chamberlin. Hope you enjoy! Announcements If you leave a review I’ll send you a Christmas card containing a Christmas Past sticker. Write me at christmaspastpodcast@gmail.com for details. Send your Christmas memory for the 2019 season. Record yourself on your phone’s voice recorder app and send it to the email address above. I’m doing a live show this year at the Great Dicken...
Oct 19, 2019•19 min
I'm back with another Ber Months Bonus episode! This time, I present a special "best of" sampler from Todd Killian's podcast, Christmas Clatter. Announcements If you leave a review I’ll send you a Christmas card containing a Christmas Past sticker. Write me at christmaspastpodcast@gmail.com for details. Send your Christmas memory for the 2019 season. Record yourself on your phone’s voice recorder app and send it to the email address above. I’m doing a live show this year at the Great Dickens Chr...
Oct 12, 2019•19 min
