By the turn of the 20th century, tuberculosis was the leading cause of death in America by far. In 1907, when a tuberculosis treatment clinic was in financial straits, Emily Bissell created Christmas Seals as a fundraiser. It was as novel as it was effective. More than a century later, Christmas Seals are still one of the prominent sights of the season. 

Mentioned in this Episode

American Lung Association

Music in this Episode

• "Autumn Leaves" — Maarten Schellekens, via Free Music Archive
• "Piano Reflection 2" — Agnese Valmaggia, via Film Music
• "Angels We Have Heard" — Kevin MacLeod, via Incompetech
• "Reawakening" — Scott Buckley, Scottbuckley.com
• "Ding Dong Merrily on High" — Leigh Robinson, via Pixabay

Order your copy today! Of Christmases Long, Long Ago

Connect with Me

• Links to all the things https://christmaspastpodcast.com/links
• Email: [email protected]

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)

These days, the Christmas season is the period between Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Way back when, it was the period beginning on Christmas Day, and included 12 days of merrymaking and mischief. The Twelve Days of Christmas aren't really part of our modern Christmas celebration — except for the song lyrics and the odd reference here and there. 

What are the twelve days of Christmas? And what happened to them? Are we missing out on anything by forgetting them? Well, if feasting, cross dressing, upending social hierarchy, and having a raucous good time sound at all interesting to you, then...yes. Yes we are!

Mentioned in this Episode

Why We Kiss Under the Mistletoe: Christmas Traditions Explained, by Michael Foley

Music in this Episode

• "Twelve Days of Christmas" — Inner Splendor, via Feels Like Christmas
• "Miracles" — Tom Parkin, via Mega Monkey Music
• "Contemplation" — Maarten Schellekens, via Free Music Archive
• "Careless Morning" — Blue Dot Sessions, via Free Music Archive
• "Always With Me, Always With You" — Daddy S Music, via Pixabay

Order your copy today! Of Christmases Long, Long Ago

Connect with Me

• Links to all the things https://christmaspastpodcast.com/links
• Email: [email protected]

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)

The earliest myths involving elves portrayed them as mischievous or even malicious creatures that posed dangers to humans and animals. So, how do we get from there to jolly little Christmas elves? It’s a story that takes us from ancient Ancient Europe to the current day — one that involves mythology, modern American influence, the power of poetry and literature, possibly the rise of industrialization, and definitely...sticking it to the Nazis.

Mentioned in this Episode

• Christmas in the Crosshairs, by Gerry Bowler
• Santa Claus: A Biography, by Gerry Bowler
• The World Encyclopedia of Christmas, by Gerry Bowler

Music in this Episode

• "Ivory Pillow" — Blue Dot Sessions, via Free Music Archive
• "Ambient Piano" — BlackPy Beats, via Pixabay
• "Road in the Forest" — Olexy, via Pixabay
• "Christmas Music Box" — Oleg Kirilkov, via Pixabay
• "Gentle Soft Piano | Christmas Vibes" — Alex Productions, via Free Music Archive

Order your copy today! Of Christmases Long, Long Ago

Connect with Me

• Links to all the things https://christmaspastpodcast.com/links
• Email: [email protected]

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)

Decorative nutcrackers — most often resembling a toy soldier, but available in countless other characters — are synonymous with the Christmas season. Why? It’s a story whose origins predate Christmas itself. And whose history involves a mining town, Napoleon, dance theater, and World War two. So...let’s get crackin’!

Mentioned in this Episode

http://www.nutcrackermuseum.com/ 

Music in this Episode

• "Dance of the Sugarplum Fairies" — Kevin MacLeod, via Wikimedia Commons
• "March from the Nutcracker" — Trygve Larsen, via Pixabay
• "Chinese Dance from the Nutcracker" — Trygve Larsen, via Pixabay
• "Arabian Dance from the Nutcracker" — Trygve Larsen, via Pixabay
• "Wish Background" — Kevin MacLeod, via Incompetech

Order your copy today! Of Christmases Long, Long Ago

Connect with Me

• Links to all the things https://christmaspastpodcast.com/links
• Email: [email protected]

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)

Order your copy today! Of Christmases Long, Long Ago

Connect with Me

• Links to all the things https://christmaspastpodcast.com/links
• Email: [email protected]

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)

Mary E. Wilkins Freeman was a prolific author in the 19th century. Her Christmas stories showed up every year in newspapers and magazines. Professor Thomas Ruys Smith recently published a new collection of Freeman's Christmas stories. Professor Smith joins me today to discuss Freeman, and then Brian narrates "Harriet Anne's Christmas" from the collection.

Mentioned in this Episode

The Last Gift: The Christmas Stories of Mary E. Wilkins Freeman

Music in this Episode

• "Family Holiday" — Aleksey Chistilin, via Pixabay
• "Piano Music No. 1" — Relaxing Time, via Pixabay
• "Relaxing Piano Music" — Kevin Macleod, via Incompetech

Order your copy today! Of Christmases Long, Long Ago

Connect with Me

• Links to all the things https://christmaspastpodcast.com/links
• Email: [email protected]

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)

As we ease our way into another Christmas season, we're practicing thta somewhat forgotten tradition of telling ghost stories at Christmas time! In 1883, Temple Bar magazine published a story by a writer and physician named Arthur Conan Doyle. Nowadays, we refer to him as sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and we know him best as the creator of that most famous of detectives: Sherlock Holmes. But this 1883 story isn’t about Sherlock. It’s about a ship trapped in arctic ice and the strange things the captain and crew experience. Join Brian for a reading of The Captain of the Polestar.

Mentioned in this Episode

Biblioasis

Music in this Episode

• "Dewbound" — Blue Dot Sessions, via Free Music Archive
• "Ethereal Relaxation" — Kevin MacLeod, via Incompetech

Order your copy today! Of Christmases Long, Long Ago

Connect with Me

• Links to all the things https://christmaspastpodcast.com/links
• Email: [email protected]

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)

Join Christmas Past one last time in the 2022 season. It's our annual look back at the sights, sounds, news, and trends that made Christmas of 2022 what it was.

Merry Christmas to all, and many thanks for being part of the 2022 season of Christmas Past.

Music in This Episode

• "This Christmas" — Hot Music, via Pixabay
• "Deck the Halls A" — Kevin MacLeod, via Incompetech
• "Silent Night" — Kevin MacLeod, via Incompetech
• "It Came Upon the Midnight Clear" — Kevin MacLeod, via Incompetech

Buy the Christmas Past Book!

Order your copy today. And remember...it makes a great gift!

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Books-a-Million

IndieBound

Share a Christmas memory

 Be 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. 

Keep in touch

[email protected]

Facebook page

Facebook group

Order your copy today! Of Christmases Long, Long Ago

Connect with Me

• Links to all the things https://christmaspastpodcast.com/links
• Email: [email protected]

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)

They're the spiced cookie with the funny sounding (to American ears) name. Pfeffernusse — or, "pepper nuts" in English — contain neither pepper nor nuts. And for centuries, the original recipe has been a closely guarded secret. Baker and podcaster Glen Warren joins me in this episode. 

Mentioned in This Episode

Seasons Eatings Podcast

Music in This Episode

• "The Poplar Grove" — Blue Dot Sessions, via Free Music Archive
• "Midvinter" — Scott Buckley, via scottbuckley.com.au
• "Felix Mendelssohn: Songs Without Words" Vassily Primakov, via Free Music Archive
• "The First Noel - Silent Night" — Ralph Rousseau Meulenbroeks, via Magnatune Compilation
• "Piano Moment" — Zakhar Valaha Music, via Pixabay
• "Jingle Bells" — Scott Holmes Music, via Free Music Archive

Buy the Christmas Past Book!

Order your copy today. And remember...it makes a great gift!

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Books-a-Million

IndieBound

Share a Christmas memory

 Be 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. 

Keep in touch

[email protected]

Facebook page

Facebook group

Order your copy today! Of Christmases Long, Long Ago

Connect with Me

• Links to all the things https://christmaspastpodcast.com/links
• Email: [email protected]

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)

Those decorative tins filled with three kinds of popcorn have been a Christmas staple for decades. But...why? In this episode, we find out — by asking the guy responsible for the whole thing!

Music in This Episode

• "Blue Latex" — Blue Dot Sessions, via Free Music Archive
• "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" — Ahmadmusic, via Pixabay
• "Sticktop" — Blue Dot Sessions, via Free Music Archive
• "Jul" — Scott Buckley, via scottbuckley.com.au
• "Tiled Chamber" — Blue Dot Sessions, via Free Music Archive
• "Jingle Bells" — Scott Holmes Music, via Free Music Archive

Buy the Christmas Past Book!

Order your copy today. And remember...it makes a great gift!

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Books-a-Million

IndieBound

Share a Christmas memory

 Be 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. 

Keep in touch

[email protected]

Facebook page

Facebook group

Twitter

Instagram

Website

Order your copy today! Of Christmases Long, Long Ago

Connect with Me

• Links to all the things https://christmaspastpodcast.com/links
• Email: [email protected]

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)