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The Unusual History of Every Thing

Dec 28, 2021

The yule log, which wasn’t a log at all, but instead an entire tree, is originally a Nordic tradition dating back to medieval times. The burning of the Yule log is one of the oldest pagan rituals, which was lit to entice the sun to return as part of the Yule festival in Scandinavia. On this episode, we explore the...


Dec 21, 2021

Santa Claus's gift bringing at Christmas time really began in northern and central Europe before spreading to other parts of the world. And some of the things that spread with him were his little helpers. We're not talking about the elves, although they did come along for the ride, no, we're talking about his darker...


Dec 14, 2021

Mistletoe has long been a romantic, fun Christmas tradition, but it didn’t start out that way. In fact, the plant is sort of gross when you think about it. On this episode, we look at how a plant that sucks nutrients from its host tree became the symbol for sucking face at Christmas.


Dec 7, 2021

Every house has its quirks, its moans and groans, its creaks and cracks. Most people attribute these sounds to the house settling or the wind blowing against the windows and walls. However many people believe there’s something just a tad more supernatural to blame it on. Some blame it on brownies, some point the...


Nov 30, 2021

As America celebrated Thanksgiving, millions of people prepared their tables with roasted turkey and pumpkin pie, they turned on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and some football, and gathered ‘round the table to sing the traditional Thanksgiving Day song – Jingle Bells. On this episode, we look at the history...