Christmas of the 20th Century takes a very progressive turn in Part 3 of this series, this one covering the 1920s. It was a time of technological explosion and it touched nearly every part of Christmas. American homes were increasingly converted to electric service, making the use of washing machines, dishwashers, lights, and every imaginable appliance now a fact of modern living. There were many devices that affected Christmas: the radio, the phonograph and the light bulb. All of these had a huge impact on Christmas. In this episode we explore how Christmas changed with these innovations - an ..read more

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Our annual anniversaries episode of the Merry Little Podcast celebrates Christmas Cowboys and several iconic elements of the season celebrating a Christmas birthday of sorts. Our friend Glen Warren of the Seasons Eatings Podcast sets down his ladle for a look into the legend and life of Gene Autry, the original crooner of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and author of a variety of legendary Christmas hits. This episode also celebrates the 75th anniversary of both The Christmas Song by Nat King Cole and It’s a Wonderful Life. What would Christmas be without them? Other milestones enjoying a Chris ..read more

The future of Christmas present is definitely on the minds of many as we head into the New Year. What just happened? How do we explain the Christmas we just experienced? Try as we might to predict ahead of time what Christmas 2020 would be like we still have been flooded with feedback about the Christmas we all just went through. For many of us, it was a Christmas unlike any other in our lifetime. But – it’s not like history has not recorded a Christmas like this. In this episode we look back to the Christmas of 1943 – a dark, unexpected, unusual and isolated Christmas that saw many separated ..read more

Shepherds and Angels are forever a part of the Christmas story. But why? And what things can we learn from them? In this exploration of a different angle on the Nativity story we ask a lot of questions. The idea is not to cast doubt. It is to celebrate clear facts — surprising things about the shepherds and angels that you may not know. In this merry episode we discuss the part that shepherds in particular played in the story. They were a curious choice for being key witnesses to the most heralded event in human history. Scholars do not agree about who they exactly were and what they may have ..read more

In this episode we celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas together with a mix of old and new. Thanksgiving — that All-American holiday of festive foods married with historical debates — get a look through the lens of pandemic past. We explore the Thanksgiving of 1918 and how it was the same and how it was different. This conversation comes as a backdrop to modern-day calls to abolish Thanksgiving by The New York Times and The Atlantic. While we agree some liberties have been taken with the history of Thanksgiving we have to take a real-world look at what Puritans and Native Americans really have ..read more

New Christmas music in 2020 is like everything else related to 2020: very different. In fact, we would say there is more heart to the music this year and nothing showcases that better than the good work of the artists and musicians whose songs we feature in this traditional episode of the Merry Little Podcast. Each year we try to do this. To share new music of Christmas is to share Christmas better than almost anything else. We purposely steer clear of the mainstream and the known in this episode to feature those emerging artists who give their all to Christmas in their art. That’s what makes ..read more

Let it Be Christmas – despite what 2020 has become. That is the theme and the message of this merry episode of the Merry Little Podcast that is filled with music. We take a look back at our thoughts of Christmas just months ago and the predictions we made last spring about what this Christmas will be like. It’s here now — so how are we dealing with it? We have some pretty serious issues, not the least of which is the unexpected mental toll this year has taken on many. Are you feeling it? Have you lost that loving feeling when it comes to Christmas? Many have and we’re taking that topic head on ..read more

This was our Christmas tree hunt as a family in 1972. The could very likely be the Christmas of one of the stories shared in this episode. Family history in Christmas is something everyone has. In fact, the stories of family at Christmas can possibly be the most cherished family memories we possess. In this merry episode of the Merry Little Podcast we take it to a very personal level when it comes to Christmas history as we discuss the sharing and retention of our family Christmas stories. We have all been there when it comes to these things. We’ll sit around at or after the funeral of a loved ..read more

Classic Christmas movies are those that get watched year after year. We all have our favorites. And we all have those that maybe we can do without. In this merry episode we take on some truth-telling about some classic Christmas movies that everyone knows and most like but movies that nonetheless really suck. Is such a thing possible? We think so and yes we go there. Lest you think I’m just a Christmas movie Grinch consider that complaining about Christmas movies is something of an art on the Internet. There are a lot of people out there who cannot stand certain Christmas movies. I know it’s s ..read more