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If Christmas as we know it has roots in food, feats and drinking - why do we give presents? And beyond that, why do we give gifts and donations to those in need at Christmas? Today on Creating Christmas, we delve into the history of our creation of Christmas presents - those we give to ones we love and those we give to complete strangers. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/creatingchristmas/message

The religious celebration on December 25 has been a challenge and a challenger ever since it was first created. Yes, created… We explore the actual biblical text to determine what we do know about Jesus’ birth and then figure out if the first Christians even cared about Christ’s birth much at all. And how did their recognition become our annual celebration? --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/creatingchristmas/message

All parents wrestle with the idea of St. Nick visiting their kids, and the inevitable challenge to the story that (according my interviews comes around age 7 or 8). But really, we have nothing to worry about because Santa Claus is real.   --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/creatingchristmas/message

The story of the Christmas Tree is full of myths and half-truths until one engraving tipped the scales. After its publication, the Western World went tree crazy.  This episode we walk into the Christmas Tree's tangled history. Then - did you know you can actually go into a National Forest and cut your tree this year...found out how you and your family can have a very 1850's Christmas experience. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/creatingchristmas/message

Part 3 of 3 In the conclusion, we dive into the very few stories and photos that it took to take Christmas from nearly extinct to the biggest holiday the world had ever seen.  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/creatingchristmas/message

Christmas is "The Holiday the World Needed". From the way it developed to how we imagined and reimagined it, we had to have Christmas. Christmas was nearly wiped out by the Puritans. In the aftermath, we find a new and different society that needs a something else to celebrate. How do the community celebrations of drinking and dining and cross-dressing get changed into something that can live comfortably in a family room? The answer starts to take shape with some early liars. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/creatingchristmas/message

Christmas is "The Holiday the World Needed". From the way it developed to how we imagined and reimagined it, we had to have Christmas. Have you heard some rumors of Christmas' history that seemed...kinda off.  Cross-dressing? Free alcohol? A mysterious leap in births around October? What if they're mostly true...does that change things. And if that changes things...what about all the other questions? Is Christmas part of who we are as people? Is there a way we could have avoided having a Christmas at all? In part 1 of our 3 part 'History of Christmas' --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/creatingchristmas/message

This season we're tracing the entire history of Christmas - but is that thousands of years or just hundreds or maybe just our lifetime? What are our roots, and why do we do the things we all take for granted? New episodes every Tuesday from now until Christmas. Find out more on CreatingChristmasPodcast.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/creatingchristmas/message

A look at how the Depression and US 1930's morals created an industry that Disney revolutionized and now terrifies millions of people each season. This is for the *Special* Holiday Season of the Creating Christmas podcast. I feature interviews with the foremost scholar on Halloween, the Godfather of Haunted Houses, and a haunt owner who created her haunt from scratch. Thanks so much to all the featured interviewees :: Lisa Morton (author) Trick or Treat : A History of Halloween Jeff Baham (author) The Unauthorized Story of Walt Disneys Haunted Mansion Leonard Pickel (owner) Hauntrepreneurs.com Jan Knuth (auther) Not Afraid to Slay : Women of the Haunt Industry (owner) Grey House Haunts .... Special Notes:: Take a look at the original spooky dark ride at Hollycomb Steam in the Country --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/creatingchristmas/message

People are building fireworks in their backyards right now. In fact, there’s a whole network of clubs, guilds, and international associations for people who build their own fireworks. Is this crazy? How did we get here - to where we can all have things that go boom? This episode we delve into the world of fireworks - professional, amateur and homemade. Special Thanks to our Guests this week :: Julie Heckman from the APA :: https://www.americanpyro.com/ Paul Smith from the PGI :: https://www.pgi.org/ *Find out more about their annual convention* Tyler Vale - Who finally created his perfect Blue, watch it here :: YouTube - Pyrophoria  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/creatingchristmas/message

Does celebrating Mothers or Fathers Day ever feel a little…off? And, which came first a day to honor Mom or a celebration of Dad? Today on Creating Christmas, we go back to the ‘not so distant’ roots of our parent holiday and ask the question - Did Hallmark really invent these days or was there something else going on? Special Guest today is Dr. Katharine Antolini. To find out more about the history of these holidays and also the secret behind the complete disappearance of ‘Parents Day’ - check out her book “Memorializing Mothers Day”. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/creatingchristmas/message

It's not our beating heart - not remotely. But, the double humped heart shape is one of the most recognizable symbols in the world. Why? How did this shape cross all countries and languages to mean one thing 'love'? Was is horny Greeks, or maybe French poets?  Today we discover the History of the Valentine's Heart --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/creatingchristmas/message