Prompt Cast
The History and Traditions of Christmas
TLDR This podcast episode explores the history and traditions of Christmas, including the rise and fall of aluminum Christmas trees, the incredible story of Captain Leonard LaRue saving thousands of civilians during the Korean War, the popularity of the Teddy Ruxpin toy in the 1980s, the folklore of the Yule Cat and Belzenickel, the origins of the hot toddy, and the tradition of telling ghost stories during Christmas.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
The hosts discuss their recent live Christmas show in Atlanta, where they used visual cues for the first time and did a reading from a children's book called "Meet the Latkes" about the story of Hanukkah.
06:09
Aluminum Christmas trees were initially made fun of and considered gaudy, but they became popular after tire salespeople started displaying them in their showrooms during the winter.
11:43
Aluminum Christmas trees were initially popular but eventually fell out of favor, with some people blaming Charlie Brown for their decline, although they have made a comeback in recent years.
17:57
During the Korean War, a captain named Leonard LaRue fit 14,000 civilians on a cargo ship designed for only 60 people and navigated them through mine-infested waters for two days.
23:37
During a treacherous two-day journey, not one person died or was injured, and five babies were born, making it a Christmas miracle.
29:51
The toy Teddy Ruxford, which came with a cassette and storybook, was a huge hit during the Christmases of 1986 and 1987, selling out within a month and a million units within the first few months.
35:19
Teddy Ruxpin, a popular toy in the 1980s, had two specials on ABC and continued to be sold with various titles and themes, including a special sponsored by Crest.
41:10
The Yule Cat goes from house to house on Christmas Eve, eating children who didn't receive new clothing, regardless of whether they were good or not, but the Yule Cat poem encourages children to think of those less fortunate and ensure they have new clothing to avoid being eaten.
46:46
Belzenickel would spend time with bad kids to show them how to be good before Christmas, while Hans Trapp, a wealthy man who wanted to eat children, was struck down by lightning and resurrected as a scarecrow to scare misbehaving kids, and Father Whipper and his wife would lure children into their butcher shop to kill and salt them until St. Nicholas rescued them and took custody of the butcher.
52:27
The origins of the hot toddy are unclear, but it may have been invented by a doctor named Robert Bentley Todd, to make scotch more appealing to women, and it typically consists of whiskey, sweetener, citrus, and hot water.
58:23
Ghost stories were traditionally a part of Christmas celebrations because the barrier between the living and the dead was believed to be the thinnest on the night of the winter solstice, and this is why there are ghosts in Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol."
01:04:21
Hanukkah is a celebration of how the Jewish temple was saved from destruction by the brave bees who buzzed and stung and fought to keep their people safe, according to the story told by Grandpa in this episode.
01:11:20
The podcast episode concludes with a carol and well wishes for a happy holiday season.
Categories:
Society & Culture
