Campfire Christmas

In episode 2, we look at Christmas through the rise of Christianity and the Middle Ages.

In this episode, we will focus on the time period of the Reformation, a brief history of England, and the Restoration. We'll go in-depth into the life of St. Nicholas of Myra, and he evolved into the modern-day Santa Claus. We'll also look at some of the first Christmas carols and plays that arose during this time, and one of the first established Christmas celebrations - Sinterklaasfeest.

In this episode, we'll explore the evolution of Christmas after the Restoration, into the Victorian Era. We'll go in-depth on the influence of Charles Dickens on Christmas, as well as the role of literature in shaping the holiday, as well as the export of Christmas to the New World. We'll also examine contemporary Christmas Carols, the birth of the Christmas Tree as a centerpiece of Christmas traditions, and the invention of the Christmas Card.

In this episode, we'll kick off with the rise of Christmas in North America, the invention of Christmas wrapping, the explosion of the Christmas card industry, and see Christmas through the American Civil War, and the two World Wars. We'll then turn our focus to the rise of radio as a means of entertainment, and go in-depth into modern Christmas carols.

In the final installment of this podcast series, we'll go in-depth on the first televised Christmas special, as well as the evolution of Christmas across television and cinema.