Christmas Past

Join Christmas Past one last time in the 2022 season. It’s our annual look back at the sights, sounds, news,… read more Christmas 2022

They’re the spiced cookie with the funny sounding (to American ears) name. Pfeffernusse — or, “pepper nuts” in English —… read more Backstory — Pfeffernusse

Those decorative tins filled with three kinds of popcorn have been a Christmas staple for decades. But…why? In this episode,… read more Backstory — Christmas Popcorn Tins

It’s fluffy, sweet, and studded with raisins and candied fruit peel. It’s the Italian Christmas cake known as Panettone. Get… read more Backstory — Panettone

Cozy up with the Christmas Past family for some reminiscing! It’s one of our favorite annual traditions…where I turn things… read more Your Christmas Memories, 2022

Most of the classic American Christmas songs come from the 1940s. What was it about that decade that accounts for… read more Backstory — Classic American Christmas Music

Strictly speaking, a Christmas carol is a song that tells the Nativity story. That’s what made Edmund Sears’s song, “It… read more Backstory — It Came Upon The Midnight Clear

They’re the festive party favors containing a paper crown, a trinket, and a joke — and wrapped in a package… read more Backstory — Christmas Crackers

“Father Christmas”…that’s what they call Santa Claus in England, right? Well, sort of, but there’s more to it than that…. read more Backstory — Father Christmas

It’s the theater experience that’s as rollicking and raucous as it is festive! And it’s also mostly unknown to American… read more Backstory — Pantomime

Since the early 1930s, Rockefeller Center has been home to an enormous Christmas tree, elaborately decorated and introduced each season… read more Backstory — The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree

They were a symbol of the Space Age and then, quickly, they were a relic of the past. Aluminum Christmas… read more Backstory — Aluminum Christmas Trees

It’s the universal symbol of the Christmas season: a tree (typically a fir) adorned with ornaments and lights. But…what does… read more Backstory — Christmas Trees

We’re officially kicking off the 2022 season of Christmas Past with a Thanksgiving family gathering, a return to a beloved… read more 2022 Season Kickoff from the Great Dickens Christmas Fair

Yes, we return to our traditional favorite songs each year. But there’s nothing like discovering a new favorite! If you… read more 2022 Indie Christmas Music Playlist

It’s an annual tradition on Christmas Past: The game of Christmas trivia where you have to spot the lie! Join… read more Two Truths and a Lie: Four Decades

Those of a certain age remember those classic C7 incandescent Christmas bulbs and the soft glow they produced. Sure, LEDs… read more David Andora, Founder of Tru-Tone

Happy Halloween, sugarplums! What better way to get into the spooky Christmas spirit than discussing Christmas monsters? Better yet, I’m… read more Emily Zarka, host of PBS’s Monstrum