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 Incompetech

Share a Christmas memory on the podcast! Just record a voice memo into your phone and send it to [email protected]. Keep it reasonably short, clean and family friendly, and be sure to say your name and where you're from. 

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Order your copy today! Of Christmases Long, Long Ago

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Books

Of Christmases Long, Long Ago: Surprising Traditions from Christmas Past (2025, Lyons Press and Recorded Books) It's Christmas as you've never seen it before, and it makes a great gift for all the Christmas lovers in your life.

Christmas Past: The Fascinating Stories Behind Our Favorite Holiday's Traditions (2022, Lyons Press and Recorded Books)