Hey everyone. You may know that regularly scheduled episodes of Christmas Past arrive on Mondays and Thursdays this season.

But I'm here today with a very special bonus episode. And some of you may be hearing my podcast for the first time in this bonus episode.

So let me quickly say hello. My name is Brian

Earl, and this is Christmas Past, a podcast that explores the fascinating histories behind Christmas

traditions. Like, did you know, for example, that modern gift wrap was invented by accident?

Or that the practice of writing letters to Santa was made popular by a New York

City con artist.

Christmas Past takes a deep dive into stuff like that.

The show is now in its second season, and it features input from experts in the field

and also Christmas memories from listeners just like you.

But today is different, because I'm here to introduce

a very special project, one that I feel lucky and proud to be a part of. It all started a few

weeks ago, when several of us Christmas podcasters were chatting with a listener named

Butch Bailey on Twitter. Somewhere in the course of that discussion,

it was suggested that all of us podcasters get together for some kind of crossover.

Like, you know that Yogi Bear Christmas special where all of the Hanna-Barbera characters

come together to celebrate the season? Something like that. Well, anyway, all of us got to talking and said,

uh, yeah, let's actually do that.

Now, this is a first in the world of Christmas podcasts,

so you're witnessing history in the making.

What we're going to do is tell you a Christmas story.

We picked a great short story for you,

...