Christmas Past

About Christmas Past

Behind every Christmas tradition is a story, often a forgotten one. Every year as we put up a tree and pour the eggnog, we’re continuing generations-old narratives, while being mostly unaware of their starting chapters. Join Brian Earl to explore the fascinating stories behind the most wonderful time of the year. It's equal parts nerdy deep dive and warmhearted celebration. Think: NPR meets Clement Clarke Moore! Christmas Past is one of the longest running Christmas podcasts, now in its tenth season. Vanity Fair says: "With excellent production, engaging narration, and short, digestible running times, Christmas Past is perfect to put on while decorating your tree or preparing Christmas dinner." Brian is the author of two books about Christmas: Of Christmases Long, Long Ago: Surprising Traditions from Christmas Past (2025) and Christmas Past: The Fascinating Stories Behind Our Favorite Holiday's Traditions (2022). Both are available in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook (narrated by the author). Find them wherever books are sold.

Publisher

Brian Earl

Category

kids & family · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

1 Nov 2016

Latest episode

25 Dec 2025

Latest episodes

18 of 246 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   25 Dec 2025TRANSCRIPT

   Christmas 2025

   Merry Christmas! The festive season reaches its peak today. And for the tenth year in a row, I'm here on Christmas Day to take a look back. We'll reflect on the news and trends, the sights and sounds that made Christmas of 2025 what it was. Plus, a little report from Christmas Past headquarters, and a guest appearance from little Dashiell! Wishing all of your a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I'll see you all again in 2026! Music in this Episode "Deck the Halls A"...

2. 

   23 Dec 2025TRANSCRIPT

   Christmas Memories 2025 - vol 4

   This episode arrives on Christmas Eve Eve. It's our final family gathering of the season, where members of the Christmas Past family share some of their favorite Christmas memories. Music in This Episode "Cozy Podcast Music with Christmas Bells" — Denis Pavlov, via Pixabay"Podcast Jazz Waltz Cozy Relaxing Vibes" — Denis Pavlov, via Pixabay Order your copy today! Of Christmases Long, Long Ago Connect with Me Links to all the things https://christmaspastpodcast.com/links Email: c...

3. 

   22 Dec 2025TRANSCRIPT

   The Secret Santa of Kansas City

   A mysterious philanthropist spent more than 25 years handing out cash anonymously around Kansas City at Christmastime. Music in this Episode "I Knew A Guy" — Kevin MacLeod, via Incompetech"Elegy for Manush" — Blue Dot Sessions, via Free Music Archive"The Agency Man" — Blue Dot Sessions, via Free Music Archive"Velvet Ladder" — Blue Dot Sessions, via Free Music Archive"Soft Piano Music" — Clavier Music, via Pixabay"A Very Brady Special" — Kevin MacLeod, via Incompetech"Hark! The Herald An...

Inside a recent episode

Christmas 2025

Published 25 Dec 2025 · Transcript excerpt

[…] But in the days leading up to Christmas, some forecasters see a possibility of snow for Christmas in parts of northern New England, upstate New York, and the mountainous regions of the western states. And in other news, for the past two years, as the war in Gaza dragged on, Christmas in Bethlehem has not included traditional festivities, decorations, and music. But this year, after a ceasefire declared in October, Christmas celebrations have returned to Bethlehem. Hallmark produced 24 new made -for -cable Christmas movies this year. That's down from 32 last year, a 25 % drop. Its closest competitors produced about the same number of movies this last year, but this comes after a trend of year -over -year increases for the last few Christmases. […]

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.9 / 5

797 ratings

Contact Christmas Past

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.