Santa Helpers; Christmas Tradition
Thinking Allowed
BBC
4.4 • 997 Ratings
🗓️ 25 December 2013
⏱️ 30 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
A Thinking Allowed special on our construction of Christmas tradition. What does Christmas mean to you - a visit to Santa's grotto with the little ones, the opening of presents before breakfast, a house festooned with sparkly lights and wreaths of ivy? Or is your Christmas an understated and low key affair? Perhaps you don't even recognise it for cultural or religious reasons.
Professor Philip Hancock discusses his study into the 'elite' squad of Santa helpers who dispense seasonal cheer and gifts to children in department stores up and down the country. How do they maintain their 'ho, ho hos' in the face of 500 length queues? What special challenges does this unique branch of interactive service work present? Also, Professor Jennifer Mason talks about her research into how people create the Christmas experience, drawing on the rituals of their childhoods and negotiating conflicting traditions. The writer, Antony Lerman, joins the discussion.
Producer: Jayne Egerton.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Take some time for yourself with soothing classical music from the mindful mix, |
| 0:06.0 | the Science of Happiness Podcast. |
| 0:08.0 | For the last 20 years I've dedicated my career to exploring the science of living a happier more meaningful life and I want |
| 0:14.4 | to share that science with you. |
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| 0:19.4 | I want to help you tap in to your hidden relaxation response system and open the door to that calmer place within. |
| 0:27.0 | Listen on BBC Sounds. |
| 0:30.0 | Just before this BBC podcast gets underway, here's something you may not know. |
| 0:36.0 | My name's Linda Davies and I Commission Podcasts for BBC Sounds. |
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| 1:07.0 | just before this BBC podcast gets underway |
| 1:10.0 | here's something you may not know |
| 1:12.0 | my name's Linda Davies and I commissioned |
| 1:14.4 | podcast for BBC Sounds. |
| 1:16.0 | As you'd expect, at the BBC we make podcasts of the very highest quality, |
| 1:20.6 | featuring the most knowledgeable experts and genuinely engaging |
| 1:24.7 | voices. What you may not know is that the BBC makes podcasts about all kinds of |
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