Christmas: A Biography (Judith Flanders) - a podcast by Rob Mellon

Award winning author Judith Flanders discusses her book Christmas: A Biography.  She explains two major assumptions that are made about the holiday and how we have grown to accept many myths and legends as fact.  Christmas is a holiday that we all know, do not really know at all.  She talks about the early Roman celebrations such as Saturnalia and the importance of the winter solstice.  Flanders also discusses the reasons that December 25th was chosen to celebrate the nativity.  She does into detail about the many food traditions that accompany the holiday.  She explains the reason for the use of greenery and the history of the use of the Christmas tree.  She covers the giving of gifts and the origins of Santa Clause from St. Nicholas to Coca-Cola and she busts a few myths along the way.  She even discusses the history of the reindeer from Donner and Blitzen to Rudolph - for who we have Montgomery Ward and Gene Autry to thank for that.  She explains how carols did not start as Christmas songs and were not incorporated into church and religious services until modern times.  She discusses the importance of carols during WWII and their proliferation due to radio and TV.  She finishes with what Christmas really is and what it could look like in the future.

HOST:  Rob Mellon

FEATURED BREW:  Rogue's 2020 Santa's Private Reserve Peppermint Bark Milk Stout, Rogue Brewery, Newport, Oregon

BOOK:  Christmas: A Biography
https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Biography-Judith-Flanders/dp/1250190797/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3N25ZBE7MD30G&dchild=1&keywords=christmas+a+biography+by+judith+flanders&qid=1608248862&sprefix=christmas+a+bio%2Caps%2C168&sr=8-1

MUSIC:  Bones Fork

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