The Real Stories Behind Christmas Traditions and Songs - Holiday Bonus Episode

Something You Should Know

Mike Carruthers | OmniCastMedia

Science, Education, Health & Fitness, Social Sciences, Self-improvement

4.6 • 4K Ratings

🗓️ 23 December 2025

⏱️ 30 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Every December, millions of people around the world track Santa’s journey in real time using the NORAD Santa Tracker. But why is a military defense organization keeping tabs on Santa Claus in the first place? This bonus holiday episode begins with the surprisingly charming and accidental origin of that tradition. https://www.noradsanta.org/en/about/ Why do people kiss under the mistletoe? Why do we decorate Christmas trees with ornaments? And how did Jingle Bells — a song originally written for Thanksgiving — become one of the most popular Christmas songs of all time? Ace Collins joins me to share the fascinating stories behind many of our favorite Christmas traditions and songs. Ace is author of Stories Behind the Great Traditions of Christmas (https://amzn.to/2QfN1NA) and Stories Behind the Best Loved Songs of Christmas (https://amzn.to/2Up4wtg). And if you put up a real Christmas tree, there’s a very good chance you’re making a common mistake before it ever goes into the stand. We wrap up with some simple but important tips that will help keep your tree fresher, safer, and better-looking throughout the rest of holiday season. https://homegrown.extension.ncsu.edu/2019/12/05/caring-for-your-christmas-tree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Xbox Game Pass is giving you more.
0:12.4	Play hundreds of games on any device, anywhere.
0:15.2	Take your pick, PC, console, or cloud.
0:18.7	This is how we play now.
0:20.7	Click the banner to learn more.
0:22.4	Game library and benefits vary by region, plan, and overtime.
0:26.1	Requires compatible device and internet.
0:31.4	Today on something you should know, another Christmas bonus episode about holiday traditions. Have you ever stopped to wonder
0:39.6	where these traditions came from? Some traditions didn't start out having much to do with Christmas
0:45.8	at all. I think the mistletoe tradition is fascinating because it really goes back to over a thousand
0:52.0	years when the early missionaries were going to reach the Vikings.
0:56.5	And the Vikings looked up on the mistletoe plant as this incredible plant.
1:01.0	When these people converted to Christianity, what they did was they brought the mistletoe plant with them
1:05.6	and put it over babies, cribs, and other things to represent their faith.
1:08.9	They also wanted their bride and groom to be married
1:11.1	under a symbol of faith, and so they were married underneath a mistletoe plant. Today, we're going
1:17.3	to explore the stories behind some of the most familiar Christmas traditions, and once you hear
1:22.6	them, you may never look at these traditions the same way again on this bonus holiday episode of something
1:28.8	you should know this festive season of mcdonald's get rinsched deals every day okay okay
1:35.1	with a sausage sandwich for just let's see nine and a mp six chiggin mcnuggets for just
1:38.9	nine an apk fine get grinch deals every day in the McDonald's app.
1:48.2	18 plus app only ends 24th of December.
	...

Transcript will be available on the free plan in 18 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Mike Carruthers | OmniCastMedia, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Mike Carruthers | OmniCastMedia and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.