This week, we’re sharing our tried-and-true tips for hosting every kind of holiday get-together—cocktail parties, office shindigs, frosting fueled cookie-decorating chaos, and all the festive fun in between! We’ll help you plan, prep, and actually enjoy the party instead of just surviving it. Because with a little strategy (and a lot of spirit), hosting can be merry and bright. And remember—the golden rule of the season: you can never have too much ice.

Nothing says Christmas like the scent of a fresh pine filling your home!
In this episode, we’re diving into the world of real Christmas trees — from how they’re grown to how they bring magic into your holiday celebrations. We chat with Rick Dungey from the National Christmas Tree Association, who gives us the inside scoop on the care, craft, and charm behind these festive evergreens. Plus, we learn about Trees for Troops, a heartwarming program that spreads Christmas cheer by delivering live trees to military families across the country.

Think Christmas is all sugarplums and sleigh bells? Think again!

In the spirit of Spooky Season, we’re unwrapping the eerie, the mysterious, and the downright chilling tales that haunt holiday traditions around the world. From the ghostly visitations in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, to the terrifying Krampus who punishes naughty children in Austria, to the broomstick-flying Christmas witch La Befana of Italy—these stories prove that the holidays have a haunting history of their own.

Are you ready to unwrap the magic behind your favorite Hallmark holiday movies? This week on Christmas Culture Club, Julie and Steve are spilling the cocoa on where those delightfully cheesy, heartwarming films come to life- and how YOU can step right into the snow-globe like scenes for yourself! We will share the real-life destinations that make Hallmark Christmas dreams sparkle. Grab your peppermint hot cocoa and tune in because your next holiday getaway might just feel like a movie!

Meet your co-hosts, Julie and Steve — two Christmas superfans on a mission to bring you the ultimate feel-good holiday podcast!

Each episode, we’re diving deep into why and how we deck the halls, sharing laughs, heartwarming stories, and festive surprises along the way.

From the surprising history behind your favorite traditions…
to the joyful chaos of ugly sweater parties…
we’re unwrapping the celebrations, culture, and pure Christmas magic that make the season sparkle.

So grab some cocoa, get cozy, and join the club —
because at Christmas Culture Club, every day is merry and bright!

Julie and Steve explore the Origin of Christmas- where and when it all started and how it all turned into the juggernaut that is American Christmas!