The first commercial Christmas card (1843) by John Callcott Horsley, courtesy of Wikipedia
In honor of the holiday season, we have a special episode examining Christmas in early America. Believe me, the story is not always as one would imagine it. The war on Christmas is nothing new and, at times, was carried out by Christians. As the melting pot of America came together and the new nation started to develop its traditions independent of England, those who came of their own volition (like immigrants from Germany) and those who had come unwillingly (the enslaved peoples in the South) contributed to what ultimately became the holiday season as we know it today in the United States. Enjoy, and whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Mawlid, Yule, another holiday, or nothing at all this time of year, I wish for you peace and good tidings as the year draws to a close. Source information can be found at http://whhpodcast.blubrry.com.