Christmas Past

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. Mentioned in This Episodehttp://biblioasis.com/product-category/fiction/seths-christmas-ghost-stories/Music in This EpisodeChristmas Story — Lesfm, via PixabayMystery 70 MIX — Stock Studio, via Pixabay Endless by PrabajithK — Mild Relaxation, via PixabayBuy the Christmas Past Book!Order your copy today. And remember...it makes a great gift!AmazonBarnes & NobleBooks-a-MillionIndieBoundShare a Christmas memory Be on the podcast! Just record a voice memo into your phone and send it to christmaspastpodcast@gmail.com. Keep it reasonably short, clean and family friendly, and be sure to say your name and where you're from. Keep in touchchristmaspastpodcast@gmail.comFacebook pageFacebook groupTwitterInst

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.Mentioned in This EpisodeBiblioasis Ghost Stories for Christmas: 2022 EditionMusic in This Episode"Christmas Day" — Alex MakeMusic, via Pixabay"Creepy Music Box" — SoundGalleryByDmitryTaras, via Pixabay"Frequency of Sleep Meditation" — Nature's Eye, via PixabayBuy the Christmas Past Book!Order your copy today. And remember...it makes a great gift!AmazonBarnes & NobleBooks-a-MillionIndieBoundShare a C

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!Buy the Christmas Past Book!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!AmazonBarnes & NobleBooks-a-MillionIndieBoundMentioned in This Episodehttps://mrdogschristmas.com/ Music in This Episode"Relaxing Music" — Relaxing Time, via Pixabay"Morning Light" — Lesfm, via PixabayShare a Christmas memory on the podcast! Just record a voice memo into your phone and send it to christmaspastpodcast@gmail.com. Keep it reasonably short, clean and family friendly, and be sure to say your name and where you're from. Keep in touchchristmaspastpodcast@gmail.comFacebook pageFacebook groupTwitterInstagramWebsi

Merry Christmas, everyone! The big day has arrived. And it's time for our sixth annual Christmas year in review. We'll recall all the sights, sounds, news, and trends that made this Christmas unique. Plus, I'll review my own Christmas season, and talk about what's to come in 2022.  Thank you to everyone who took part in the season, by listening, sharing memories, leaving reviews, participating in the Facebook group, and reaching out to say hi. A very Merry Christmas to all of you, and a happy, healthy, and prosperous new year!  Thank you to The Great Dickens Christmas Fair for inviting me back to check out its drive-through event, and capturing some audio.  Music in this episode "Wish Background" — Kevin MacLeod, via Incompetech Share a Christmas memory on the podcast! Just record a voice memo into your phone and send it to christmaspastpodcast@gmail.com. Keep it reasonably short, clean and family friendly, and be sure to say your name and where you're from.  Keep in touch

It's Christmas Eve! No matter how you celebrate, or where you celebrate, or who you call family, I hope you’re feeling the Christmas spirit right about now. And I, as well as several members of the Christmas Past family, are here to deliver just a little bit more of it.  Be sure to follow the Tree Twins on Instagram!  Music in this episode "Stille Nacht" — Don Maue, shared directly by the artist "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" — Kevin MacLeod, via Incompetech "I'll Stay" — Peder B. Helland, via Soothing Relaxation "Deck the Halls A" — Kevin MacLeod, via Incompetech "Silent Night" — Kevin MacLeod, via Incompetech Keep in touch christmaspastpodcast@gmail.com Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ChristmasPastPodcast Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/173778110150282 Twitter: https://twitter.com/XmasPastPodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christmaspastofficial/  Brian is getting ready to return for the 2024 Christmas season wi

It's Christmas Eve Eve Eve! The big day is almost here. Friends and loved ones are starting to gather and prepare, ready to add a new chapter to their Christmas story, and to reminisce about Christmasses past. And today, so are we…as the Christmas Past family. It’s another episode all about you. About sharing your stories and memories, your traditions and love of our favorite holiday!  Marv from the UK shares a memory in this episode. Check out his podcast, Pods Like Us. Thanks to him and everyone else who shared a memory in this episode! Music in this episode "Away in a Manger" — Don Maue, shared directly by the artist "I Saw Three Ships" — Don Maue, shared directly by the artist "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" — Don Maue, shared directly by the artist "The First Noel" — Don Maue, shared directly by the artist "The Little Drummer Boy" — Don Maue, shared directly by the artist "The Little Drummer Boy" — Don Maue, shared directly by the artist &q

Christmas is often abbreviate as Xmas, but why? Why does X make a suitable abbreviation, and why does Christmas need abbreviating at all? To find the answers, we'll have to go back to the earliest days of Christianity, and and explore the world of symbology and word origins. Thank you to Mignon Fogarty, from Grammar Girl for joining me in this episode! Music in this episode"Golden Hour" — Podington Bear, via Free Music Archive"Prelude No. 11" — Chris Zabrieski, via Free Music Archive"Silent Night" — ZakharValaha, via Pixabay"Wish Background" — Kevin MacLeod, via IncompetechShare a Christmas memory on the podcast! Just record a voice memo into your phone and send it to christmaspastpodcast@gmail.com. Keep it reasonably short, clean and family friendly, and be sure to say your name and where you're from. Keep in touchchristmaspastpodcast@gmail.comFacebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ChristmasPastPodcastFacebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/173778110

Welcome back for the second consecutive day of Christmas trivia! It's the conclusion of our special double header. Join us today when Rachel plays quizmaster to Brian in a game of "Sheperdy." We're in the final countdown to Christmas of 2021, but rest assured: there's much more Christmas cheer on tap between now and the big day!  Music in this episode"Turning" — Blue Dot Sessions, via Free Music ArchiveShare a Christmas memory on the podcast! Just record a voice memo into your phone and send it to christmaspastpodcast@gmail.com. Keep it reasonably short, clean and family friendly, and be sure to say your name and where you're from. Keep in touchchristmaspastpodcast@gmail.comFacebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ChristmasPastPodcastFacebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/173778110150282Twitter: https://twitter.com/XmasPastPodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/christmaspastofficial/ Brian is getting ready to return for the 2024 Christmas season with an all

In a first here on Christmas Past, we're doing a double header of Christmas trivia. Join me today and tomorrow for back-to-back episodes where you put your Christmas spirit to the test. Today, the name of the game is "Two Truths and a Lie," where your deception detection skills are just as important as your knowledge of Christmas history. All questions in today's game are related to the 1970s. Tomorrow, come back for Sheperdy, a Jeopardy inspired Christmas trivia game. Today and tomorrow, I'll be playing with Rachel in New York!Music in this episode"Inspiring Cinematic Uplifting Piano" — ZakharValaha, via PixabayShare a Christmas memory on the podcast! Just record a voice memo into your phone and send it to christmaspastpodcast@gmail.com. Keep it reasonably short, clean and family friendly, and be sure to say your name and where you're from. Keep in touchchristmaspastpodcast@gmail.comFacebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ChristmasPastPodcastFacebook group: https://www

Victorian carolers wouldn't go until they got some. But many Americans wouldn't know one if they saw one. The figgy pudding (or plum pudding or Christmas pudding) has been with us for many centuries, and in many forms. How did a Medieval savory soup become a fruity, boozy and exclusively Christmassy dessert?Glen Warren from the Seasons Eatings podcast joins Brian in this episode. Mentioned in this episodeSeasons Eatings:  PodcastInstagramThe Village Carolers:WebsiteYouTube channelInstagramMusic in this episode"We Wish You a Merry Christmas" — As performed by the Village Carolers, used with permission from the artists"Invisible Beauty" — Aakash Gandhi, via YouTube Audio Library"Just Stay" — Aakash Gandhi, via YouTube Audio Library"It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" — Kevin MacLeod, via Incompetech"Wish Background" — Kevin MacLeod, via IncompetechThe clip from A Christmas Carol came from a  Librivox recording, narrated by Elizabeth Klett. Share a Christmas

When this episode arrives, there will be only 10 days remaining until Christmas of 2021. It's a good point in the season to take a breather and snuggle up with a story from the world of classic Christmas fiction. Today, I'm reading The Christmas Fairy, an 1878  story by John Strange Winter. It’s a story for the whole family, about a schoolboy whose plans for Christmas take an unexpected turn.Music in this episode"Relaxing Piano Music" — Kevin MacLeod, via Incompetech"Holiday is Coming" — Lesfm, via PixabayShare a Christmas memory on the podcast! Just record a voice memo into your phone and send it to christmaspastpodcast@gmail.com. Keep it reasonably short, clean and family friendly, and be sure to say your name and where you're from. Keep in touchchristmaspastpodcast@gmail.comFacebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ChristmasPastPodcastFacebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/173778110150282Twitter: https://twitter.com/XmasPastPodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.c

Christmas and charity are as natural a pairing as you might imagine. But the long history of charity at Christmas time has a few things worth exploring. For example, who has historically done the charitable giving, and why. And how the Victorians generally, and Charles Dickens specifically, laid the foundation for the modern form of Christmas charity that we know today.Thank you to Martin Johns, professor of history at Swansea University in Wales, and author of  Christmas and the British: A Modern History, for appearing on this episode. Music in this episode"The Little Match Girl" — Maarten Schellekens, via Free Music Archive"Swirling Snowflakes - Part 1" — Maarten Schellekens, via Free Music Archive"Lullaby" — Maarten Schellekens, via Free Music Archive"The Silent Grove" — Axletree, via Free Music Archive"Wish Background" — Kevin MacLeod, via Incompetech"Oh Holy Night" — Kevin MacLeod, via IncompetechShare a Christmas memory on the podcast! Just rec

In 1945, when songwriter Bob Wells first penned the line "chestnuts roasting on an open fire..." chestnuts were as much a part of the Christmas season as eggnog and gingerbread. And then, just a few years after Nat King Cole recorded his iconic version of that song...they weren't. What happened? It's one of the few examples from recent history of a Christmas tradition dying out — literally — in a single generation. Is it lost forever? Or are we poised for a roasty toasty Christmas comeback story? Thank you to Sarah Fitzsimmons, director of restoration with the American Chestnut Foundation, for appearing in this episode.Music in this episode"Home for the Holidays" — Chris Haugen, via Youtube Audio Library"Feelings of Twilight" — Shady Dave, via Freesound"Angles We Have Heard" — Kevin MacLeod, via Incompetech"Fresh Fallen Snow" — Chris Haugen, via Free Music Archive"The Christmas Song" — Don Maue, shared directly by the artistShare a Christma

It's our first family gathering of the season...the kind dedicated to members of the Christmas Past family and their Christmas memories. Pour the hot chocolate and snuggle up by the tree! It's time for a trip down memory lane.  Music in this episode "Just Stay" — Aakash Gandhi, via Youtube Audio Library "Frozen in Love" — Aakash Gandhi, via Youtube Audio Library "Waterfall" — Aakash Gandhi, via Youtube Audio Library "Arms of Heaven" — Aakash Gandhi, via Youtube Audio Library "Falling Snow" — Aakash Gandhi, via Youtube Audio Library Share a Christmas memory on the podcast! Just record a voice memo into your phone and send it to christmaspastpodcast@gmail.com. Keep it reasonably short, clean and family friendly, and be sure to say your name and where you're from.  Keep in touch christmaspastpodcast@gmail.com Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ChristmasPastPodcast Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/173778110150282 Twitter: http

In 1937, radio audiences were introduced to The Cinnamon Bear, a magical twenty-six-part Christmas miniseries. Twins Judy and Jimmy search through the enchanted world of Maybeland for their lost Christmas ornament with the help of a talking bear. The series delighted audiences for many seasons before falling out of the mainstream. But a new audience is discovering the program in the Internet age. Thank you to Jack French from the Metropolitan Washington Old Time Radio Club for appearing on this episode. For more info about The Cinnamon Bearhttps://www.cinnamonbear.org/ Apple Podcasts Music in this episode"It Came Upon A Midnight Clear" — various, via NuBeat Music"Stille Nacht" — Don Maue, shared directly by the artist"Heliotrope" — Blue Dot Sessions, via Free Music Archive Share a Christmas memory on the podcast! Just record a voice memo into your phone and send it to christmaspastpodcast@gmail.com. Keep it reasonably short, clean and family friendly, and be sure to say your name

Today is an episode for the whole family! A Christmas story about two elves who decide to bring their special month-long celebration to humans. I'll narrate Festive of the Elves, a 2020 book, as told by Holly Figgyworth. After the reading, I speak with Angeli Elliott about the origins of the story, and how families can bring a little elfin magic to their own Christmas! Visit www.festivaloftheelves.com to find out more about the book, and to register for Elf Notes. And find Festival of the Elves on Instagram and FacebookMusic in this episode"Cinematic Fairy Tale Story" — ZakharValaha, via Pixabay"In the Bleak Midwinter" — Julius H, via Pixabay"The Dream Song of Olaf Asteson" — Julius H, via Pixabay"In Dulci Jubilo" — Julius H, via Pixabay"Ambient and Soothing Piano Chill Out Music in D-Major for Relaxation" — Julius H, via PixabayShare a Christmas memory on the podcast! Just record a voice memo into your phone and send it to christmaspastpodcast@gmail.com.

Christmas and sweaters naturally go together. But how did the idea of a festive holiday sweater become the multimillion dollar industry of recent decades? Is the gawdy, ironic, edgy humored Christmas sweater a passing fad, or are we at the start of something enduring? Today on Christmas Past: The "ugly" Christmas sweater!Thank you to Evan Mendelsohn from Tipsy Elves for joining me. And thanks to my mom, making her third appearance here on Christmas Past!Music in this episode"Wish Background" — Kevin MacLeod, via Incompetech"Holiday 2" — Dave Depper, via Needledrop"We Wish You a Merry Christmas" — Don Maue, shared directly by the artist"Crinoline Dreams" — Kevin MacLeod, via Incompetech"Bellow's Hull" — Blue Dot Sessions, via Free Music Archive"Gentle Marimbas" — Podington Bear, via Free Music ArchiveShare a Christmas memory on the podcast! Just record a voice memo into your phone and send it to christmaspastpodcast@gmail.com. Keep it r

 All the different landscapes and climates and cultures in America make for a seemingly endless number of settings for celebrating our favorite holiday. And one kind of setting in particular has earned a special place in American Christmas culture and lore: the small town. That homey, local Christmas spirit is the topic of Small Town Christmas, the new series on UPtv. Series creator and host Megan Alexander joins Brian to discuss. Plus, Brian shares a small town Christmas memory of his own!Music in this episode"In the Bleak Mindwinter" — Julius H, via Pixabay"Owl's Christmas" — Owl Glance, via Pixabay"Holy Night" — Tomomi Kato, via Pixabay"Christmas Day" — Alex MakeMusic, via PixabayShare a Christmas memory on the podcast! Just record a voice memo into your phone and send it to christmaspastpodcast@gmail.com. Keep it reasonably short, clean and family friendly, and be sure to say your name and where you're from. Keep in touchchristmaspastpodcast@gmail.comFaceb

A Charlie Brown Christmas became one of the most successful Christmas television specials ever. But the odds were stacked against it in 1965. Written and produced under a crazy deadline, the network executives were sure it would flop like a Charlie Brown Christmas tree. But of course, things turned out differently. This episode includes an interview with Benjamin Clark, curator of the Charles M. Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa, CA.Music in this episode"Nouvelle Noel" — Kevin MacLeod, via Incompetech"Shades of Spring" — Kevin MacLeod, via Incompetech"Covert Affair" — Kevin MacLeod, via Incompetech"Wish Background" — Kevin MacLeod, via IncompetechShare a Christmas memory on the podcast! Just record a voice memo into your phone and send it to christmaspastpodcast@gmail.com. Keep it reasonably short, clean and family friendly, and be sure to say your name and where you're from. Keep in touchchristmaspastpodcast@gmail.comFacebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ChristmasPast

What happens when a Christmas tree from a secret admirer comes between a young woman and her fiance in New York in 1902? That's the subject of the new Christmas audio drama from Sagacity Productions: "Christmas on Henry Street." This one-hour program, based on real events, will air on several NPR affiliate stations in December. Christmas Past is pleased to share it with you in this special full-length presentation. For more information about "Christmas on Henry Street"https://www.sagacitytv.com/Thank you to Bonnie Silva and everyone at Sagacity Productions for creating this program, and for sharing it with the Christmas Past family. Music in this Episode"It Came Upon The Midnight Clear" — Don Maue, shared directly by the artistShare a Christmas memory on the podcast! Just record a voice memo into your phone and send it to christmaspastpodcast@gmail.com. Keep it reasonably short, clean and family friendly, and be sure to say your name and where you're from. Keep in touch