Snow globes are one of those items that seems like it could have been around forever.  But they are a relatively new invention, and it wasn’t until decades after their invention that they’d become more or less exclusively a Christmas decoration. And that’s a story involving shoemakers, World War II, Austrian souvenir shops, baby food, and a super top secret process for creating fake snow. That literally only one person on earth knows.

Thank you to Erwin Perzy III of Original Viennese Snowglobe Manufacture for appearing in this episode.

Be sure to check out the "Definitive Directory of Christmas Podcasts"

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Music in this episode

• Music Box Brams Opus 39 - Waltz no 3 — Flying Deer FX, via Freesound
• Golden Hour — Podington Bear, via Free Music Archive
•  Under the Stars — Shady Dave, via FreeSound
• Lyric Pieces, Op. 12 – I. Arietta — Edvard Grieg, via Musopen
• Home for the Holidays — Chris Haugen, via YouTube Audio Library
• Fresh Fallen Snow — Chris Haugen, via YouTube Audio Library

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Connect with Me

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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)