People experiencing Christmas in brand new ways, giving the holiday even more meaning.
-
Download Control-click (or right-click) Tap and hold to download
- Transcript
Aviva DeKornfeld / This American Life
A This American Life Christmas Playlist
Prologue
Ira introduces us to Santa Allen. A man who is NOT the real Santa Claus but who will – for the first time ever – be sitting in a chair, dressed as Santa, asking little children what they want for Christmas this year. He’s nervous. (4 minutes)
Does Santa Believe in Himself?
Producer Aviva DeKornfeld accompanies Santa Allen to his first “chair gig” to see whether all of his hopes, or all of his fears, or a little of both, will be realized. (16 minutes)
Jews for Jesus, for Just One Day
Alex Edelman grew up in an Orthodox Jewish household in Boston. But one year, unexpectedly, his family decided to celebrate Christmas – for what he says are very Jewish reasons. (15 minutes)
Buffalo Girls Can’tcha Come Out Tonight
Our former colleague Neil Drumming has never seen “It’s a Wonderful Life” – which makes no sense given that he’s seen almost every other movie there is. Executive Editor Emanuele Berry takes it upon herself to change Neil’s life forever, or not at all, by showing him the film for the first time. (10 minutes)
Single Bells
Scaachi Koul is commemorating a Christmas first of her own – and ON her own – this year.
Related
Act Three: The First Noel
Act Three: Director’s Cut
Act Two: Sheetcakes In The Conference Room, Whiskey After Dark
Staff Recommendations
Secrets
Why we tell them, and what happens after we do.
I'm From the Private Sector and I'm Here to Help
Nancy Updike goes to Iraq to try to figure out what it's like to be a private citizen working in the middle of a war zone.