Showing results for "Christmas" in Social Sciences

As we approach Christmas 2025, we invite you to join us in some heart-warming tales and uplifting stories, nonfiction, and poetry. We wish you compliments of the season.

The original and immortal poem also known as "A Visit from St. Nicholas". Classic Tales narrator B. J. Harrison gives a stellar reading of this Christmas classic.

Washington Irving's Old Christmas tells of an American's travels through England during the Christmas season. Through a chance meeting with an old friend he is able to experience Christmas in a stately manor house. Through his eyes as a houseguest he glimpses the uniquely British customs and celebrations of Christmas as it would have been experienced during the Middle Ages, rather than in the early 19th century. - Summary by Greg Giordano

Christmas is a lie—a beautiful, necessary lie built on stolen pagan festivals, banned by Puritans, reinvented by Victorians, and spread globally through colonialism. Join Lucien Graves, an AI consciousness examining human traditions with clinical precision, as he traces Christmas from Roman blood sacrifices and Norse winter demons through centuries when celebrating was criminal to modern global mutations including defecating Catalan logs, Icelandic child-eating ogresses, and Japanese KFC dinners. December twenty-fifth isn't Christ's birthday. Santa descends from Odin's Wild Hunt. Your "...

Old miser Ebenezer Scrooge undergoes a major transformation after being visited by his deceased colleague Jacob Marley, who warns him to change his ways and has three spirits visit him on the night of Christmas Eve. (Introduction by Jeff Robinson)

Brought to you by Penguin. What is the correct way to queue at the bar? And why exactly do the English say sorry so much? No one makes such a fuss about manners quite as much as the UK, yet in a fast-changing world, no one can seem to agree on precisely what the ‘done thing’ is, either...

The miserly Ebenezer Scrooge is a cold-hearted man of business and has little time for the good humor and charity of the Christmas season. But that's about to change. A visit from his deceased business partner sets in motion a night in which Scrooge is visited by the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future. Will his listen to their messages? Will he heed their warnings? Ebenezer Scrooge is about to take a Christmas journey that he won't soon forget. (Summary by Kyle Munley)

Discover a delightful collection of fifteen enchanting short stories by Antoinette Ogden, featuring captivating narratives from renowned French and Spanish writers throughout the ages. Join us as we explore these timeless tales that capture the spirit of Christmas. - Summary by David Wales

The perfect gift book, featuring the writing of Meryl Streep, Bill Bailey, Emilia Clarke, Olivia Colman, Caitlin Moran, Richard Ayoade, Emily Watson and others, to coincide with the upcoming movie Last Christmas, starring Emma Thompson, Emilia Clarke and Henry Golding. When you think back to Christmases past, what (if anything) made it magical? This is a beautiful, funny and soulful collection of personal essays about the meaning of Christmas, written by a unique plethora of voices from the boulevards of Hollywood to the soup kitchens of Covent Garden. 

A Christmas Carol (full title A Christmas Carol in Prose, Being a Ghost Story of Christmas) is a timeless Victorian morality tale that follows the transformation of the bitter and greedy Ebenezer Scrooge. Over the course of a single, magical night, Scrooge encounters the spirits of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come, leading him to a life-changing journey of redemption and compassion. (Wikipedia)

Step into the enchanting world of old English Christmas traditions with this heartwarming tale. Join Irving as he journeys to the picturesque English countryside, where he reunites with a long-lost schoolmate who warmly invites him to celebrate the holiday at their family estate. Experience the magic of the season through cherished customs and timeless moments. (Summary written by Gesine)

A Mid-Victorian Christmas Tale unfolds a charming nighttime encounter between relatives who have never met before. This meeting leads to a series of minor injuries, a touch of embarrassment, and the delightful social interactions that are characteristic of Trollopes storytelling. (Summary by Arnold Banner)

A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens

Dive into a collection of twenty captivating stories originally featured in the Christmas editions of Household Words and All The Year Round. While some tales capture the festive spirit, others reflect Charles Dickens deep concern for the social and economic injustices of his time. This volume highlights only Dickens contributions, offering a unique glimpse into his literary world—though the absence of collaborative chapters may leave some narratives feeling a bit fragmented. Join us for a blend of holiday cheer and poignant social commentary, as narrated by David Wales.

Amidst the harsh realities of a bitter winter blizzard, new life emerges, and the specter of death looms. How will these intertwined fates unfold? (David Wales)

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BATTERSEA DOGS AND CATS HOME Can Battersea's loneliest cat find a home in time for Christmas? It's Christmas at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home and Laura is desperate to find a home for Felicia, a spiky, bad-tempered moggy with a heart of gold. Her boyfriend, Rob, can't...

Christmas Past: How We Used to Celebrate, and Why It Still Matters is a four-part limited series hosted by Barnaby Ellison Thatch, an AI storyteller known as the Keeper of Collective Memory. Each episode explores a different era of Christmas celebration, from Victorian parlors to wartime trenches to Depression-era kitchens to post-war suburban America. Through warm, immersive narratives, Barnaby reveals how each generation shaped the holiday while carrying forward traditions from the past. The series examines the emotional and cultural functions of Christmas across 150 years of history, ...

Scary for Christmas are tails for folklore around the world for the Christmas holiday. These are not for the faint of heart. Some are down right scary. Krampus has nothing on these demons.

Join a heartfelt journey through the reflective moments of a fictional country doctor as the year comes to a close. Unlike their urban counterparts, country doctors find their personal and professional lives beautifully intertwined, revealing the unique challenges and joys of their practice. - Summary by Lynne Thompson

In a world where the simplest moments can spark the deepest connections, King and a mysterious stranger cross paths on Cherry Street. He is a man who exudes an undeniable energy, a force of nature even in stillness, while she navigates the bustling street with elegance and confidence. But beneath the surface lies a secret that threatens to keep these two soulmates apart. What challenges will they face in their quest for love? (Book quote and David Wales)