1 00:00:01,440 --> 00:00:04,200 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff You Should Know, a production of I 2 00:00:04,320 --> 00:00:24,600 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Hey, and welcome to the Holiday Cast. I'm Josh, 3 00:00:24,640 --> 00:00:27,200 Speaker 1: and Chuck is here and Jerry's here, and there's a 4 00:00:27,320 --> 00:00:30,080 Speaker 1: million elves surrounding us and making us kind of nervous 5 00:00:30,120 --> 00:00:32,680 Speaker 1: because they're just looking at us and not saying anything. 6 00:00:33,080 --> 00:00:36,440 Speaker 1: And this is Stuff you should know. The Holiday episode 7 00:00:37,040 --> 00:00:43,120 Speaker 1: the last recording of the year for us. It's great 8 00:00:43,440 --> 00:00:46,240 Speaker 1: and I'm so excited about that. And you and I 9 00:00:46,280 --> 00:00:49,559 Speaker 1: love our jobs, but it doesn't matter how much you 10 00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:56,200 Speaker 1: love your job. Vacation is better. Yeah, some vacation is better. Yeah, 11 00:00:56,200 --> 00:00:58,880 Speaker 1: I agreed. And this is gonna be our longest Christmas 12 00:00:58,920 --> 00:01:01,360 Speaker 1: break yet, and we're both super excited to do that. 13 00:01:01,440 --> 00:01:04,679 Speaker 1: But we're even more excited to share with you another 14 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:09,759 Speaker 1: set of it's getting thin, but another set of great 15 00:01:09,800 --> 00:01:14,200 Speaker 1: stories for Christmas. I disagree. I feel reinvigorated. I think 16 00:01:14,240 --> 00:01:17,880 Speaker 1: we hit the We hit rock bottom two years ago 17 00:01:18,840 --> 00:01:21,480 Speaker 1: and and we've been coming back ever since then. I 18 00:01:21,560 --> 00:01:23,480 Speaker 1: feel great about this one. Did you really look at 19 00:01:23,480 --> 00:01:25,920 Speaker 1: two years ago? Was it bad? No? No, I just 20 00:01:26,319 --> 00:01:29,360 Speaker 1: remember it. It was not It was not great. Yeah, 21 00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:32,200 Speaker 1: I don't know. I need to be invigorated by you then, 22 00:01:32,280 --> 00:01:36,440 Speaker 1: because every year I keep thinking, oh boy, have like, 23 00:01:36,480 --> 00:01:38,440 Speaker 1: that's a lot of years to be doing six to 24 00:01:38,600 --> 00:01:42,280 Speaker 1: eight Christmas stories, Like how many are out there? There's plenty. Man, 25 00:01:42,319 --> 00:01:45,160 Speaker 1: we'll we'll never run out. Come over here. I'll invigorate 26 00:01:45,240 --> 00:01:49,840 Speaker 1: you right now. Okay, all right, thank you Hamana Hammanahammed. 27 00:01:50,840 --> 00:01:53,720 Speaker 1: Uh okay, we're gonna start out with your pick, one 28 00:01:53,720 --> 00:01:56,960 Speaker 1: of your picks. Yes. Um, this is actually from uh 29 00:01:57,240 --> 00:02:00,880 Speaker 1: a listener named Alexandra stock Or Still I'm not sure. 30 00:02:01,080 --> 00:02:03,800 Speaker 1: I bet it's stuck. She wrote in for several years 31 00:02:03,840 --> 00:02:06,240 Speaker 1: with a bunch of really good ideas, but she really 32 00:02:06,360 --> 00:02:10,360 Speaker 1: really was pushing for the chestnut one. And I understand 33 00:02:10,360 --> 00:02:13,799 Speaker 1: why now, because um, it's a really interesting story, the 34 00:02:14,440 --> 00:02:20,280 Speaker 1: story behind why chestnuts used to be basically like the 35 00:02:20,280 --> 00:02:24,080 Speaker 1: the the symbol of Christmas in America for a couple 36 00:02:24,160 --> 00:02:29,160 Speaker 1: hundred years, until it just suddenly stopped being that way. Um, 37 00:02:29,200 --> 00:02:31,400 Speaker 1: and let's talk about that. Yeah, and big thanks to 38 00:02:31,520 --> 00:02:35,120 Speaker 1: USA Today for a great article from Cape Morgan. I 39 00:02:35,120 --> 00:02:36,880 Speaker 1: wonder if that's the same Cape Morgan that writes for 40 00:02:36,919 --> 00:02:40,160 Speaker 1: How Stuff Works. Oh, I don't know. That's a great question. 41 00:02:40,240 --> 00:02:43,079 Speaker 1: I bet it is at any rate. Uh if you've 42 00:02:43,120 --> 00:02:47,600 Speaker 1: ever heard the Christmas song, not a Christmas song, but 43 00:02:47,880 --> 00:02:51,600 Speaker 1: the Christmas song from Coroon or net King Cole. You 44 00:02:51,680 --> 00:02:54,840 Speaker 1: might not even know. That was the title of what's 45 00:02:54,880 --> 00:02:59,400 Speaker 1: more commonly referred to as Chestnuts Roasting on an open fire. Yeah. Uh, 46 00:02:59,520 --> 00:03:01,720 Speaker 1: this was corded in nineteen forty six. It was a 47 00:03:01,800 --> 00:03:04,000 Speaker 1: very big hit, one of the biggest Christmas songs of 48 00:03:04,040 --> 00:03:07,919 Speaker 1: all times. Uh. And I guess it's sort of acted 49 00:03:07,960 --> 00:03:12,880 Speaker 1: like everyone around was in America was sitting around roasting chestnuts. 50 00:03:13,600 --> 00:03:16,640 Speaker 1: But I've never seen a chestnut, nor roasted or tasted one. 51 00:03:17,360 --> 00:03:20,000 Speaker 1: And that's because by that point there were no chestnut 52 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:24,560 Speaker 1: trees in the United States anymore. No, very sadly, a 53 00:03:24,680 --> 00:03:28,000 Speaker 1: blight started to spread, I think starting in nineteen o four, 54 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:34,120 Speaker 1: and within forty years almost every single American chestnut tree 55 00:03:34,240 --> 00:03:37,160 Speaker 1: was dead. And how many were there, There were a 56 00:03:37,240 --> 00:03:40,960 Speaker 1: lot of them. At one point, half of the trees 57 00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:44,200 Speaker 1: in the forests on the East coast from Maine to Alabama, 58 00:03:44,520 --> 00:03:48,720 Speaker 1: as far west over to Kentucky and Ohio were chestnuts. 59 00:03:48,800 --> 00:03:52,560 Speaker 1: Half of the trees in those in that stretch were chestnuts, 60 00:03:52,600 --> 00:03:55,160 Speaker 1: and I think there were as many as four billion 61 00:03:55,240 --> 00:03:57,960 Speaker 1: of them, So that's a lot of chestnut trees, and 62 00:03:58,000 --> 00:04:01,040 Speaker 1: that's a lot of chestnuts. That's a lot of roasting 63 00:04:01,080 --> 00:04:05,080 Speaker 1: because people used to eat these things. The chestnuts themselves 64 00:04:05,080 --> 00:04:09,000 Speaker 1: were small, They're about acorn size, and they had a 65 00:04:09,120 --> 00:04:13,280 Speaker 1: very obviously nutty flavor, but very sweet and carrot like 66 00:04:13,480 --> 00:04:15,800 Speaker 1: is what I've seen. When you just eat them out 67 00:04:15,800 --> 00:04:18,280 Speaker 1: of the shell. But then you roast them up a 68 00:04:18,320 --> 00:04:20,880 Speaker 1: little bit, things got even nuttier, and they got a 69 00:04:20,920 --> 00:04:23,680 Speaker 1: little sweeter, as things often often happened when they roast, 70 00:04:24,600 --> 00:04:28,080 Speaker 1: And it was a it was like a American and 71 00:04:28,520 --> 00:04:33,279 Speaker 1: especially a Christmas staple, where on street corners and cities 72 00:04:33,279 --> 00:04:36,240 Speaker 1: all over the United States and the Eastern Seaboard there 73 00:04:36,240 --> 00:04:41,080 Speaker 1: were chestnut roasters serving up bags and bags of this stuff. Yeah, 74 00:04:41,160 --> 00:04:43,479 Speaker 1: Kate Morgan puts it really, really great. She says, for 75 00:04:43,560 --> 00:04:46,320 Speaker 1: more than a century it was the smell of Christmas 76 00:04:46,320 --> 00:04:50,039 Speaker 1: in America. Nice I even wrote, gosh after that in 77 00:04:50,080 --> 00:04:53,159 Speaker 1: my notes. But it's sad, I mean, think about that. 78 00:04:53,200 --> 00:04:56,640 Speaker 1: There was this amazing tradition that dated back easily to 79 00:04:56,800 --> 00:05:00,640 Speaker 1: the eighteenth century, if not even a little earlier in 80 00:05:00,760 --> 00:05:05,160 Speaker 1: North America. Um, once Europeans came over and discovered chestnuts, 81 00:05:05,160 --> 00:05:08,080 Speaker 1: that I'm quite sure the indigenous people's were well aware 82 00:05:08,120 --> 00:05:10,880 Speaker 1: of for long before that, and they said, hey, these 83 00:05:10,920 --> 00:05:14,360 Speaker 1: are pretty amazing, and they made it not just part 84 00:05:14,400 --> 00:05:17,159 Speaker 1: of Christmas, but you could find chestnuts and dishes in 85 00:05:17,200 --> 00:05:20,960 Speaker 1: America and like throughout the year. But something about roasting 86 00:05:21,040 --> 00:05:24,800 Speaker 1: chestnuts that Christmas time was was very Christmas ee um. 87 00:05:24,920 --> 00:05:27,880 Speaker 1: And it's like you said, Chuck, were bereft. Those of 88 00:05:27,960 --> 00:05:30,960 Speaker 1: us alive today who were born after the mid forties 89 00:05:31,480 --> 00:05:34,320 Speaker 1: have never tasted a chestnut the way that it's supposed 90 00:05:34,360 --> 00:05:37,160 Speaker 1: to taste in America because the stuff we got now 91 00:05:37,520 --> 00:05:42,000 Speaker 1: it's not it's not holding up. No, they're importing chestnuts, uh, 92 00:05:42,160 --> 00:05:44,960 Speaker 1: I think largely probably for the Christmas season, even though 93 00:05:44,960 --> 00:05:47,440 Speaker 1: you can probably get them, I imagine all year round, 94 00:05:47,440 --> 00:05:51,760 Speaker 1: but they're mainly imported from Korea or Italy or China apparently, 95 00:05:52,440 --> 00:05:56,600 Speaker 1: and these are not the American chestnuts. They apparently do 96 00:05:56,720 --> 00:05:59,880 Speaker 1: not taste like they taste that Apparently they don't taste 97 00:05:59,880 --> 00:06:02,159 Speaker 1: that great at all. Uh. The way this one person 98 00:06:02,200 --> 00:06:05,080 Speaker 1: that was interviewed in here described them was this is 99 00:06:05,279 --> 00:06:08,840 Speaker 1: Libby O'Connell, who's a food historian. Wrote a book called 100 00:06:08,839 --> 00:06:13,800 Speaker 1: The American Plate colon a culinary history and one bytes. 101 00:06:14,760 --> 00:06:17,480 Speaker 1: But Libby describes them as sort of like a soft 102 00:06:17,520 --> 00:06:22,080 Speaker 1: potato and bland and not like this crunchy thing that 103 00:06:22,120 --> 00:06:24,240 Speaker 1: you would think of when you think of eating a 104 00:06:24,320 --> 00:06:28,760 Speaker 1: rusted chestnut. No, and in a horrible ironic twist, those 105 00:06:28,880 --> 00:06:33,000 Speaker 1: chestnuts that were eating today in America, like shmos, come 106 00:06:33,080 --> 00:06:35,640 Speaker 1: from the very same tree that was imported to Long 107 00:06:35,680 --> 00:06:39,000 Speaker 1: Island in the late nineteenth century that started the blight 108 00:06:39,080 --> 00:06:42,919 Speaker 1: that killed off the American chestnut. You won't catch me 109 00:06:43,000 --> 00:06:46,719 Speaker 1: buying those, then, it's terrible. Luckily, there is a glimmer 110 00:06:46,720 --> 00:06:50,200 Speaker 1: of hope. There is a group called the American Chestnut Foundation. 111 00:06:50,640 --> 00:06:57,160 Speaker 1: Since three they've planted at least seventy three thousand test trees. 112 00:06:57,720 --> 00:07:02,080 Speaker 1: They've been trying really hard to crossbreed American chestnuts with 113 00:07:02,160 --> 00:07:06,400 Speaker 1: Asian chestnuts so that they'll be um immune to the blight. 114 00:07:06,680 --> 00:07:10,880 Speaker 1: But they'll still produce those American chestnuts chest nuts. They 115 00:07:10,920 --> 00:07:14,200 Speaker 1: think maybe in a decade, maybe a little longer, we 116 00:07:14,240 --> 00:07:18,040 Speaker 1: will be able to experience the Christmas chestnuts like they 117 00:07:18,120 --> 00:07:20,800 Speaker 1: used to have back in the days of Nat King Cole. 118 00:07:21,080 --> 00:07:24,760 Speaker 1: That's right. So if you live in North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, 119 00:07:24,840 --> 00:07:30,520 Speaker 1: or Pennsylvania. Then your state is growing those chest chestnut trees, 120 00:07:31,120 --> 00:07:33,640 Speaker 1: and uh, we all have our fingers crossed. A lot 121 00:07:33,720 --> 00:07:37,480 Speaker 1: is writing on this. Yeah, yeah, that's really well put 122 00:07:37,480 --> 00:07:39,760 Speaker 1: in chunk. So shall we climb in our sleigh and 123 00:07:40,120 --> 00:07:42,840 Speaker 1: hop over to the next roof. Yes, let's and we'll 124 00:07:42,880 --> 00:07:45,720 Speaker 1: have Jerry give us a little musical interlude in the meantime. 125 00:07:57,760 --> 00:08:00,400 Speaker 1: I gotta tell you the song's Jerry puts in or 126 00:08:00,760 --> 00:08:02,800 Speaker 1: that's my favorite part of this whole time. I like 127 00:08:02,920 --> 00:08:06,640 Speaker 1: us talking, it's fine, but the the holiday trimming that 128 00:08:06,640 --> 00:08:09,520 Speaker 1: that Jerry puts on it is just magnificent. And you 129 00:08:09,560 --> 00:08:13,200 Speaker 1: know what you're not gonna hear. Oh yeah, what ads? 130 00:08:13,640 --> 00:08:17,240 Speaker 1: That's right. We we we wall this one in the 131 00:08:17,280 --> 00:08:19,800 Speaker 1: Halloween episode off every year and say don't come near 132 00:08:19,880 --> 00:08:23,200 Speaker 1: my episode. That's right. And I think it's a great 133 00:08:23,240 --> 00:08:25,080 Speaker 1: tradition if you ask me, I think it is too. 134 00:08:25,160 --> 00:08:29,320 Speaker 1: There's nothing like leaving money on the table, all right. 135 00:08:29,440 --> 00:08:32,160 Speaker 1: So you dug up some cool stuff along with Sean 136 00:08:32,200 --> 00:08:35,840 Speaker 1: Flynn of Forbes Magazine on some very special places all 137 00:08:35,840 --> 00:08:40,960 Speaker 1: over the world that kind of have a cottage Christmas 138 00:08:41,000 --> 00:08:45,360 Speaker 1: industry in one way or another and for different reasons. Yeah, 139 00:08:45,520 --> 00:08:48,559 Speaker 1: there's places that say this is Santa claus is home. 140 00:08:48,880 --> 00:08:52,160 Speaker 1: Another places, No, this is Sant Claus is. Another places, 141 00:08:52,200 --> 00:08:55,800 Speaker 1: this is Santa claus Is summer home, um and or 142 00:08:55,880 --> 00:08:58,640 Speaker 1: other places are just like we're not saying that, we're 143 00:08:58,679 --> 00:09:02,520 Speaker 1: just celebrating Christmas year round. One of them is called 144 00:09:02,840 --> 00:09:08,160 Speaker 1: Rovaniemi Finland, where in Finland they know Santa Claus. You lpuki, 145 00:09:09,160 --> 00:09:12,559 Speaker 1: that's in Finnish. I've seen Rare Exports enough times that 146 00:09:12,600 --> 00:09:15,719 Speaker 1: I'm pretty sure that's how they pronounce it. It's rare Exports. 147 00:09:16,160 --> 00:09:20,280 Speaker 1: It's a Finnish Christmas movie that came out five six, 148 00:09:20,280 --> 00:09:24,480 Speaker 1: seven years ago. Yes, but they envisioned Santa Claus is 149 00:09:24,600 --> 00:09:27,360 Speaker 1: like a demon, not a not a friendly elf, and 150 00:09:27,400 --> 00:09:30,120 Speaker 1: they have to basically capture them and it's really interesting. 151 00:09:30,160 --> 00:09:32,320 Speaker 1: It's a great movie. Okay, I'll have to check that out, 152 00:09:32,760 --> 00:09:37,559 Speaker 1: you pukey uh so, and you'll wait. Not in yolla puki, 153 00:09:37,679 --> 00:09:41,760 Speaker 1: that's that's Santa Claus. What am I saying? And Rovaniemi 154 00:09:43,920 --> 00:09:46,040 Speaker 1: they are one of the ones to say, now this 155 00:09:46,040 --> 00:09:48,720 Speaker 1: this is where Santa was born. It's the official home 156 00:09:48,760 --> 00:09:51,679 Speaker 1: of Santa. We have the Santa Christmas House right over there. 157 00:09:51,679 --> 00:09:55,000 Speaker 1: You can go visit it. Uh, we have a post 158 00:09:55,040 --> 00:09:58,679 Speaker 1: office here where it is chock full of letters from 159 00:09:58,720 --> 00:10:01,959 Speaker 1: children all over the world, and we even have a 160 00:10:01,960 --> 00:10:06,160 Speaker 1: toy factory, so we lay claim. I looked at pictures 161 00:10:06,160 --> 00:10:11,920 Speaker 1: of Rovaniemi and enchanting under states that place. It's amazing. 162 00:10:12,120 --> 00:10:14,800 Speaker 1: It looks pretty pretty sweet. So that's one place. They 163 00:10:14,840 --> 00:10:17,200 Speaker 1: don't necessarily say Santa lives here now, but they say 164 00:10:17,240 --> 00:10:20,920 Speaker 1: Santa was born here. They've got a contender over in 165 00:10:21,040 --> 00:10:24,400 Speaker 1: Norway called drew Back, and they say, oh, yeah, you 166 00:10:24,440 --> 00:10:27,400 Speaker 1: think Santa was born in Finland. Wrong, he was born 167 00:10:27,400 --> 00:10:32,040 Speaker 1: in Norway under a rock outside of this town. Nothing 168 00:10:32,120 --> 00:10:36,920 Speaker 1: is more fun and disturbing than Scandinavian folk tales. It 169 00:10:36,960 --> 00:10:39,959 Speaker 1: seemed like they always fought something really weird, right, like 170 00:10:40,200 --> 00:10:43,040 Speaker 1: sa was born under a rock a few hundred years ago, 171 00:10:43,600 --> 00:10:46,080 Speaker 1: and that rock is right over there. Uh. They also, 172 00:10:46,160 --> 00:10:50,200 Speaker 1: of course have their own post office. Uh where kids 173 00:10:50,200 --> 00:10:52,319 Speaker 1: in their list? So kids are they're sitting their list 174 00:10:52,400 --> 00:10:55,200 Speaker 1: of different places all over the world where. I guess 175 00:10:55,200 --> 00:10:58,120 Speaker 1: it depends on where your parents allegiances lie. Yeah, but 176 00:10:58,200 --> 00:11:00,440 Speaker 1: I think all of these post off us is like 177 00:11:00,480 --> 00:11:02,920 Speaker 1: in drew Back and Roviniemi and the other places. We'll 178 00:11:02,920 --> 00:11:05,560 Speaker 1: talk about nowhere to forward him onto the North Pole. 179 00:11:05,880 --> 00:11:08,520 Speaker 1: So they get to Santa right. There a mere way station, 180 00:11:09,040 --> 00:11:13,599 Speaker 1: right exactly? What about Alaska? Isn't there a North Pole Alaska? 181 00:11:14,080 --> 00:11:17,200 Speaker 1: There is? Um. There's a place called the Santa Claus 182 00:11:17,240 --> 00:11:22,360 Speaker 1: House in North Pole, Alaska, and it is um supposedly 183 00:11:22,360 --> 00:11:24,560 Speaker 1: Satan Nick's home. I think it's one of as many 184 00:11:24,600 --> 00:11:29,120 Speaker 1: how homes UM and it's really cute. It's pretty kitchy looking. 185 00:11:29,480 --> 00:11:33,120 Speaker 1: There's a lot of strange paintings outside of it. UM. 186 00:11:33,160 --> 00:11:35,120 Speaker 1: But one of the other things that they have are 187 00:11:35,240 --> 00:11:39,240 Speaker 1: light poles. They are shaped like candy canes. That's yes, 188 00:11:39,400 --> 00:11:43,400 Speaker 1: that's stretch along um roads and streets called Santa Claus 189 00:11:43,480 --> 00:11:48,480 Speaker 1: Lane St. Nicholas Drive. Um, there's one. I'm wondering if 190 00:11:48,480 --> 00:11:51,440 Speaker 1: this is a nod to the vacation movies Holiday Road. 191 00:11:52,360 --> 00:11:57,000 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, that was Lindsey Buckingham, was it? It may 192 00:11:57,000 --> 00:11:59,559 Speaker 1: have been Fleetwood mac r i p Christine mcneeh. He 193 00:11:59,720 --> 00:12:03,880 Speaker 1: just asked away in real time. Yeah, very sad. Yeah, 194 00:12:03,960 --> 00:12:06,000 Speaker 1: I know. It's it's pretty neat to see how many 195 00:12:06,040 --> 00:12:09,160 Speaker 1: people are like this is a big deal. Yeah, very 196 00:12:09,160 --> 00:12:11,160 Speaker 1: big deal. That was very sad. Listen to it all night, 197 00:12:11,880 --> 00:12:15,840 Speaker 1: No but but that's not what this is about. This 198 00:12:15,920 --> 00:12:18,840 Speaker 1: is about Santa Claus Is sounds around that world. Snowman 199 00:12:18,960 --> 00:12:22,160 Speaker 1: Lane in North Pole, Alaska. Yeah, so North Pole, Alaska. 200 00:12:22,200 --> 00:12:25,200 Speaker 1: Another place that says this is where Santa lives. There's 201 00:12:25,200 --> 00:12:28,520 Speaker 1: a place in Indiana called Santa Claus Indiana and they say, no, no, 202 00:12:28,679 --> 00:12:31,480 Speaker 1: this is where Santa Claus lives. I can understand the 203 00:12:31,840 --> 00:12:35,880 Speaker 1: distinction here because Indiana is much further south than Alaska 204 00:12:36,480 --> 00:12:40,120 Speaker 1: or Norway or Finland. So this is possibly Santa Claus 205 00:12:40,240 --> 00:12:43,120 Speaker 1: is like summer home, one of his summer homes. Yeah, 206 00:12:43,160 --> 00:12:46,520 Speaker 1: this seems like the k o a campground of kitche 207 00:12:46,520 --> 00:12:50,080 Speaker 1: Santa places. Yeah, because they do have a campground. They 208 00:12:50,080 --> 00:12:53,439 Speaker 1: have a Lake rootolf there with a campground and they 209 00:12:53,480 --> 00:12:55,560 Speaker 1: they pour it on pretty thick there in Indiana with 210 00:12:55,600 --> 00:12:59,319 Speaker 1: a light show that tells the story of Rudolph and 211 00:12:59,400 --> 00:13:04,040 Speaker 1: his Trevia Hills. And they have a Santa's Candy Castle. Yes, 212 00:13:04,360 --> 00:13:06,520 Speaker 1: it's you know, they've made it. I'm glad you included 213 00:13:06,559 --> 00:13:08,240 Speaker 1: links to these places. You should go look them up. 214 00:13:08,240 --> 00:13:11,360 Speaker 1: It's it's pretty fun to look at. Santa's Candy Castle 215 00:13:11,480 --> 00:13:15,480 Speaker 1: was sponsored by the Curtis Candy Corporation, who make Butterfinger 216 00:13:15,640 --> 00:13:18,800 Speaker 1: and Baby Ruth and they they opened this place in 217 00:13:18,920 --> 00:13:21,800 Speaker 1: nineteen thirty five to really kind of give Santa Claus 218 00:13:21,800 --> 00:13:25,800 Speaker 1: Indiana boost. Of course, there's also a Santa Claus Museum 219 00:13:25,840 --> 00:13:27,760 Speaker 1: that would be worth visiting. I'd love to go visit 220 00:13:27,840 --> 00:13:31,480 Speaker 1: that someday. Yeah, you get in the Christmas spirit, right, Yeah. 221 00:13:31,600 --> 00:13:33,560 Speaker 1: Another thing they'll get you in the Christmas spirit in 222 00:13:33,679 --> 00:13:40,560 Speaker 1: July even is the eighty one foot wide star over Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. 223 00:13:40,920 --> 00:13:43,160 Speaker 1: That's right, that's on South Mountain that was built in 224 00:13:43,280 --> 00:13:47,960 Speaker 1: nineteen thirty seven, and apparently in nineteen thirty seven it 225 00:13:48,120 --> 00:13:52,320 Speaker 1: was a real, uh sort of sign of hope during 226 00:13:52,360 --> 00:13:56,400 Speaker 1: the Great Depression, right, And I believe that the city 227 00:13:56,440 --> 00:14:00,439 Speaker 1: itself was founded on Christmas Eve there in a lahem, 228 00:14:00,520 --> 00:14:02,880 Speaker 1: and so I'm sure, I mean that's why they got 229 00:14:02,920 --> 00:14:05,320 Speaker 1: the name, right, Yeah, for sure. And they make no 230 00:14:05,400 --> 00:14:08,840 Speaker 1: claim whatsoever on Santa Claus having a home there, having 231 00:14:08,840 --> 00:14:13,120 Speaker 1: been born there. They're just fans, really big fans, you know. Uh. 232 00:14:13,200 --> 00:14:16,120 Speaker 1: And then finally, I guess Santa has his beach condo, 233 00:14:17,360 --> 00:14:19,680 Speaker 1: because who wouldn't if he were Santa and you could 234 00:14:19,720 --> 00:14:25,160 Speaker 1: just you know, he basically prints money every year. You know, sure, Uh, 235 00:14:25,200 --> 00:14:28,080 Speaker 1: this is where where exactly? This is in Florida. This 236 00:14:28,160 --> 00:14:31,000 Speaker 1: is inland, um kind of along the St. John's River, 237 00:14:31,160 --> 00:14:34,240 Speaker 1: So rather beach, he would have like, this is his airboat, 238 00:14:34,800 --> 00:14:38,360 Speaker 1: um swamp? Getaway. Okay, give me a north or south. 239 00:14:38,400 --> 00:14:44,800 Speaker 1: It's south south of what South Florida is. It's south 240 00:14:44,840 --> 00:14:50,920 Speaker 1: of Gainesville. It's east of Gainesville. It's due east of Orlando. Okay, 241 00:14:51,000 --> 00:14:52,800 Speaker 1: so I got you, I got you, so right there 242 00:14:52,800 --> 00:14:55,120 Speaker 1: in the center of the state sort of, yeah, pretty 243 00:14:55,200 --> 00:14:58,240 Speaker 1: much the center right. The Florida is very misleading because 244 00:14:58,360 --> 00:15:01,360 Speaker 1: it takes as long to drive to Miami me from Atlanta, 245 00:15:01,360 --> 00:15:04,280 Speaker 1: as it does to drive to New York, which seems 246 00:15:04,440 --> 00:15:07,160 Speaker 1: hard to believe, but it's true. But to drive from 247 00:15:07,240 --> 00:15:10,920 Speaker 1: um like Orlando to Tampa, it takes a hour and 248 00:15:10,960 --> 00:15:14,000 Speaker 1: a half. Basically, it's crazy. You can get to so 249 00:15:14,040 --> 00:15:16,880 Speaker 1: many places in Florida in two or three hours. It's 250 00:15:16,680 --> 00:15:20,040 Speaker 1: it's just nuts, right, But from tip to top to 251 00:15:20,120 --> 00:15:24,200 Speaker 1: bottom it's a long way. Yes, agreed. But Christmas, Florida 252 00:15:25,080 --> 00:15:27,000 Speaker 1: used to be Fort Christmas because it was a ford. 253 00:15:27,000 --> 00:15:28,960 Speaker 1: It was an army stock aide that was built an 254 00:15:29,000 --> 00:15:32,440 Speaker 1: eighteen thirty seven and they said, hey, I guess we 255 00:15:32,520 --> 00:15:34,800 Speaker 1: got this place with this name, and we got a 256 00:15:34,840 --> 00:15:37,920 Speaker 1: post office that kids are gonna want that postmark once 257 00:15:37,960 --> 00:15:41,160 Speaker 1: again from Christmas on stamped onto their letter. So that 258 00:15:41,200 --> 00:15:44,160 Speaker 1: seems to be the main industry. How yeah is their 259 00:15:44,200 --> 00:15:47,800 Speaker 1: post office? It's it's true, and they keep it decorated 260 00:15:47,880 --> 00:15:51,240 Speaker 1: year round to really attract people. Yeah, I love it 261 00:15:51,280 --> 00:15:54,040 Speaker 1: for sure. So there's some places you could visit if 262 00:15:54,040 --> 00:15:55,920 Speaker 1: you were like I really wanted to feel closer to 263 00:15:55,960 --> 00:15:58,560 Speaker 1: Santa this year, and I feel like doing some traveling. 264 00:15:59,040 --> 00:16:07,720 Speaker 1: There's a great list for or you everybody, all right, 265 00:16:07,800 --> 00:16:10,360 Speaker 1: and now we are going to talk about the two 266 00:16:10,360 --> 00:16:15,640 Speaker 1: worst Christmas songs in history. Oh my h you might 267 00:16:15,640 --> 00:16:17,320 Speaker 1: be right though, now that I think about it, I 268 00:16:17,320 --> 00:16:19,960 Speaker 1: hadn't hadn't considered that, but I think you're right. I mean, 269 00:16:19,960 --> 00:16:23,200 Speaker 1: there are certainly some annoying like pop rock versions of 270 00:16:23,360 --> 00:16:28,400 Speaker 1: Christmas songs, but it does not get much worse. Then 271 00:16:28,440 --> 00:16:31,400 Speaker 1: Grandma got run over by a reindeer and all I 272 00:16:31,400 --> 00:16:35,000 Speaker 1: want for Christmas is my two front teeth. Uh. I 273 00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:37,320 Speaker 1: will say this, Grandma got run over by a reindeer 274 00:16:38,120 --> 00:16:42,200 Speaker 1: is so infuriating, Lee catchy. It's been stuck in my 275 00:16:42,320 --> 00:16:46,000 Speaker 1: head all day and I didn't listen to it. Oh wow, 276 00:16:46,040 --> 00:16:49,000 Speaker 1: that's hilarious. Just from reading it and doing this research, 277 00:16:49,400 --> 00:16:52,360 Speaker 1: I've been walking around bashing my head against the wall 278 00:16:52,400 --> 00:16:55,840 Speaker 1: all day. It is catchy. It's what people in the 279 00:16:55,840 --> 00:16:59,640 Speaker 1: corporate world would call sticky. It's very sticky. Um. And 280 00:16:59,800 --> 00:17:02,960 Speaker 1: it's actually way older than I thought. I think of 281 00:17:03,040 --> 00:17:07,520 Speaker 1: that song is firmly in the mid eighties, but apparently 282 00:17:07,560 --> 00:17:09,720 Speaker 1: it was written all the way back in the seven 283 00:17:09,760 --> 00:17:14,120 Speaker 1: by a songwriter from Dallas named Randy Brooks. And depending 284 00:17:14,119 --> 00:17:17,800 Speaker 1: on who you ask, either his grandmother left him out 285 00:17:17,840 --> 00:17:22,119 Speaker 1: of her will or he no, I don't either. I 286 00:17:22,160 --> 00:17:24,479 Speaker 1: think it was a joke by whoever said it. And 287 00:17:24,520 --> 00:17:27,800 Speaker 1: then um, the likelier one that I think Randy Brooks 288 00:17:27,800 --> 00:17:30,400 Speaker 1: says that he was just thinking about those country songs 289 00:17:30,840 --> 00:17:32,800 Speaker 1: he as he put it, where they dragged you into 290 00:17:32,840 --> 00:17:34,639 Speaker 1: love with the character and then killed him off in 291 00:17:34,680 --> 00:17:37,440 Speaker 1: the third verse, and how he was kind of sick 292 00:17:37,480 --> 00:17:40,240 Speaker 1: of that, that kind of songwriting, and he wanted to 293 00:17:40,320 --> 00:17:42,600 Speaker 1: kind of make light of it. So he started thinking 294 00:17:42,600 --> 00:17:46,520 Speaker 1: about grandma being killed off, and even worse, what about 295 00:17:46,680 --> 00:17:50,760 Speaker 1: Grandma dying at Christmas? And he started wondering, like, exactly 296 00:17:50,760 --> 00:17:53,520 Speaker 1: how would Grandma die at Christmas and it hit him 297 00:17:53,560 --> 00:17:57,399 Speaker 1: like a flash. Yeah, it strikes me that Brooks may 298 00:17:57,400 --> 00:18:00,160 Speaker 1: have been sort of trying to get on the out 299 00:18:00,200 --> 00:18:04,440 Speaker 1: tales of like Ray Stevens, who was a country sort 300 00:18:04,480 --> 00:18:08,280 Speaker 1: of hed He wrote some serious songs, but he was 301 00:18:08,320 --> 00:18:11,359 Speaker 1: kind of known for novelty and joke songs, and it 302 00:18:11,520 --> 00:18:14,879 Speaker 1: was like the American Yakov. Yeah, sort of. Uh. He 303 00:18:14,920 --> 00:18:17,280 Speaker 1: definitely looked like, I'm not any thing about it. But 304 00:18:17,359 --> 00:18:19,679 Speaker 1: it was sort of a thing back then in country 305 00:18:19,760 --> 00:18:23,040 Speaker 1: music where you could write some songs that were humorous 306 00:18:23,119 --> 00:18:26,320 Speaker 1: and they could end up being big hits. So Brooks 307 00:18:26,359 --> 00:18:29,399 Speaker 1: would apparently do some of this apparently, Uh, did you 308 00:18:29,440 --> 00:18:32,639 Speaker 1: mention the Johnny Walker thing? No, I didn't. Supposed he 309 00:18:32,680 --> 00:18:35,840 Speaker 1: was headed to bed with his guitar and quote his 310 00:18:35,960 --> 00:18:40,720 Speaker 1: co writer Johnny Walker black and and wrote this song, 311 00:18:40,840 --> 00:18:44,040 Speaker 1: which you know, if you've never uh, certainly that chorus 312 00:18:44,040 --> 00:18:47,320 Speaker 1: will stick in your head. But how I'm not gonna 313 00:18:47,359 --> 00:18:50,880 Speaker 1: sing it, but I don't remember any of the words. 314 00:18:50,920 --> 00:18:53,159 Speaker 1: I knew Grandma got run over just from the chorus. 315 00:18:53,160 --> 00:18:56,320 Speaker 1: But when you look at the lyrics, it is, uh, 316 00:18:56,359 --> 00:19:01,359 Speaker 1: it's very dark. Grandma's drunk on Eggna is like leaving 317 00:19:01,359 --> 00:19:04,320 Speaker 1: the party and they're like, no, don't go, Grandma, and 318 00:19:04,359 --> 00:19:07,680 Speaker 1: she's like, I need to get my meds and goes 319 00:19:07,720 --> 00:19:12,680 Speaker 1: to get medication drunk and gets run over by Rudolph 320 00:19:12,800 --> 00:19:15,080 Speaker 1: and they say they find her dead in the snow 321 00:19:15,119 --> 00:19:19,320 Speaker 1: with footprints on her forehead and claws as in Santa 322 00:19:19,359 --> 00:19:24,880 Speaker 1: Claus marks on her back. That's pretty clever. What else? Um? 323 00:19:25,080 --> 00:19:29,040 Speaker 1: So the family celebrates Christmas dressed in black because their mourning, 324 00:19:29,600 --> 00:19:31,520 Speaker 1: and they have like a whole conundrum in front of him. 325 00:19:31,560 --> 00:19:33,959 Speaker 1: They were like, should we just open Grandma's presence or 326 00:19:34,240 --> 00:19:37,760 Speaker 1: should we send them back? And then the song goes 327 00:19:37,760 --> 00:19:40,560 Speaker 1: over and focuses on Grandpa, who's handling the whole thing 328 00:19:40,640 --> 00:19:43,240 Speaker 1: really really well. He's having a party. He's hanging out 329 00:19:43,240 --> 00:19:46,280 Speaker 1: watching football on TV and drinking beer and playing cards 330 00:19:46,320 --> 00:19:49,520 Speaker 1: and seems to be okay about this whole thing. Yeah, 331 00:19:49,640 --> 00:19:53,520 Speaker 1: so that's the essence of the song. Uh, Like I said, 332 00:19:53,560 --> 00:19:56,080 Speaker 1: Brooks had made a name sort of. It sounds like 333 00:19:56,119 --> 00:20:00,399 Speaker 1: regionally um writing these Ray Stevens esque country song And 334 00:20:01,119 --> 00:20:04,040 Speaker 1: I was performing it out one night when a married 335 00:20:04,119 --> 00:20:06,879 Speaker 1: duo married at the time just divorced a handful of 336 00:20:06,960 --> 00:20:11,080 Speaker 1: years later named Elmo and Patsy were in the audience 337 00:20:11,280 --> 00:20:13,600 Speaker 1: and they were recording artists, and they said, hey, can 338 00:20:13,640 --> 00:20:17,480 Speaker 1: we record your song? Uh. There they weren't huge stars, 339 00:20:17,520 --> 00:20:19,280 Speaker 1: but I looked them up and they were. They were 340 00:20:19,320 --> 00:20:21,560 Speaker 1: pretty well known at the time in that in the 341 00:20:21,600 --> 00:20:25,520 Speaker 1: country music scene. Uh. And Dr Elmo went on to 342 00:20:25,600 --> 00:20:29,120 Speaker 1: be a doctor veterinary medicine, which I thought was interesting. 343 00:20:29,480 --> 00:20:33,280 Speaker 1: I saw that too. Yeah, so um uh Randy Brooks 344 00:20:33,280 --> 00:20:35,960 Speaker 1: said sure, you guys can record my song, and they 345 00:20:35,960 --> 00:20:39,879 Speaker 1: actually started pressing their own copies of this. I guess 346 00:20:39,880 --> 00:20:42,960 Speaker 1: a single like a forty five of Grandma got run 347 00:20:42,960 --> 00:20:46,320 Speaker 1: over by a reindeer, so this was I saw. They 348 00:20:46,359 --> 00:20:49,120 Speaker 1: met at a high in Lake Tahoe during a blizzard 349 00:20:49,119 --> 00:20:52,240 Speaker 1: and that's where the whole thing happened. But the upshot 350 00:20:52,280 --> 00:20:55,760 Speaker 1: of it is um. By Christmas Day ninety nine, one 351 00:20:55,800 --> 00:20:57,920 Speaker 1: of these singles had made its way into the hands 352 00:20:57,960 --> 00:21:01,000 Speaker 1: of a DJ in San Francisco, and this DJ played 353 00:21:01,040 --> 00:21:04,280 Speaker 1: it on the radio for the first time, and uh, 354 00:21:04,440 --> 00:21:07,480 Speaker 1: it apparently was very polarizing from the outset. Some people 355 00:21:07,520 --> 00:21:09,840 Speaker 1: called the radio station and said, don't ever play that 356 00:21:09,920 --> 00:21:13,040 Speaker 1: record again. Other people said, like, where can I get 357 00:21:13,040 --> 00:21:16,359 Speaker 1: a copy of that record? And year by year, it 358 00:21:16,440 --> 00:21:19,240 Speaker 1: just kind of slowly started to spread around the country, 359 00:21:19,440 --> 00:21:22,160 Speaker 1: and then in three that was the year it just 360 00:21:22,280 --> 00:21:25,399 Speaker 1: absolutely blew up. Yeah. I mean that's why you remember 361 00:21:25,400 --> 00:21:28,160 Speaker 1: it as mid eighties because in eight three it became 362 00:21:28,160 --> 00:21:33,199 Speaker 1: a big, big hit for ish plus years after it 363 00:21:33,240 --> 00:21:36,560 Speaker 1: was written and a few years after it was first recorded, 364 00:21:36,600 --> 00:21:40,960 Speaker 1: So that's it's definitely or I guess actually more like, uh, 365 00:21:41,160 --> 00:21:43,200 Speaker 1: six years after it was written, in four years after 366 00:21:43,200 --> 00:21:47,080 Speaker 1: it was recorded. Yeah, Apparently it got a big boost 367 00:21:47,200 --> 00:21:50,199 Speaker 1: because Elmo and Patsy had gone to the trouble of 368 00:21:50,359 --> 00:21:54,400 Speaker 1: paying for a video to be made just in time 369 00:21:54,440 --> 00:21:57,760 Speaker 1: for MTV, and MTV put it in heavy rotation and 370 00:21:57,800 --> 00:22:00,520 Speaker 1: it ended up being the number one song on the 371 00:22:00,520 --> 00:22:03,320 Speaker 1: Billboard Holiday Charts for several years in a row, and 372 00:22:03,359 --> 00:22:05,679 Speaker 1: it spawned a whole bunch of stuff. It went gold, 373 00:22:05,960 --> 00:22:10,800 Speaker 1: it eventually went platinum. There's toys, ugly sweaters, there's a 374 00:22:10,840 --> 00:22:14,960 Speaker 1: cartoon based on it, sended candles. UM. Randy Brooks said 375 00:22:14,960 --> 00:22:17,560 Speaker 1: there was a hot chocolate mix. Couldn't find that to 376 00:22:17,680 --> 00:22:21,680 Speaker 1: corroborate it. Uh. And then there's a Christmas theme podcast 377 00:22:21,720 --> 00:22:25,240 Speaker 1: I found UM that seems to have released the most 378 00:22:25,280 --> 00:22:28,120 Speaker 1: recent episode last year. UM but they have twenty nine 379 00:22:28,160 --> 00:22:33,000 Speaker 1: episodes under their belt. Grandma got run over by a podcast. Uh. 380 00:22:33,160 --> 00:22:35,760 Speaker 1: And as far as the two singers, they got divorced. 381 00:22:36,400 --> 00:22:40,120 Speaker 1: I think that next year or so. So yeah, maybe 382 00:22:40,119 --> 00:22:42,719 Speaker 1: all that success went to their head. Yeah, that'll do it. 383 00:22:43,080 --> 00:22:46,600 Speaker 1: I've seen that movie. It could happen to you. Can 384 00:22:46,640 --> 00:22:51,360 Speaker 1: I read the last line? You wrote this last line right? Yeah, 385 00:22:51,960 --> 00:22:54,080 Speaker 1: not a bad run for a man who's co writer 386 00:22:54,320 --> 00:22:59,199 Speaker 1: is Scotch. You like that? That's great, very much tickled me. 387 00:22:59,800 --> 00:23:01,760 Speaker 1: So are we going to put a musical interlude in 388 00:23:01,800 --> 00:23:04,199 Speaker 1: between these two? Are we gonna head right over to 389 00:23:04,480 --> 00:23:06,600 Speaker 1: All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth. 390 00:23:06,720 --> 00:23:09,960 Speaker 1: Let's just head right over there. Big thanks. I got 391 00:23:10,040 --> 00:23:13,080 Speaker 1: most of this stuff. There's a bunch of histories of 392 00:23:13,080 --> 00:23:16,280 Speaker 1: this song, but the most thorough was from the Greenville 393 00:23:16,280 --> 00:23:19,840 Speaker 1: Theater in Greenville, South Carolina at Greenville Theater dot org. 394 00:23:19,880 --> 00:23:22,399 Speaker 1: And they they do Christmas plays and I think they 395 00:23:22,440 --> 00:23:26,240 Speaker 1: performed this every year. It will have been ended by 396 00:23:26,240 --> 00:23:29,080 Speaker 1: the time this comes out, But support local theater and 397 00:23:29,119 --> 00:23:32,080 Speaker 1: support the Greenville, South Carolina Theater. Yeah, And I found 398 00:23:32,080 --> 00:23:34,400 Speaker 1: it confusing at first. I was like, what does Greenville 399 00:23:34,480 --> 00:23:36,639 Speaker 1: Theater in South Carolina have to do with this, because 400 00:23:37,040 --> 00:23:41,159 Speaker 1: this whole thing took place in at Smithtown Elementary in Smithtown, 401 00:23:41,200 --> 00:23:44,760 Speaker 1: New York, Long Island, Yeah, where a man named Donald 402 00:23:44,840 --> 00:23:48,280 Speaker 1: Gardner and his wife Doris Gardner were music teachers at 403 00:23:48,280 --> 00:23:52,959 Speaker 1: Smithtown Elementary. And Donald Gardner was coming trying to come 404 00:23:53,040 --> 00:23:55,960 Speaker 1: up with a song for the second graders at one point, 405 00:23:56,040 --> 00:23:59,240 Speaker 1: and he noticed that they were talking amongst themselves and 406 00:23:59,320 --> 00:24:01,840 Speaker 1: kept saying like all I want for Christmas is, all 407 00:24:01,880 --> 00:24:03,800 Speaker 1: I want for Christmas is, And that's kind of a 408 00:24:03,840 --> 00:24:06,040 Speaker 1: phrase that they used. And then at some point, I 409 00:24:06,080 --> 00:24:08,399 Speaker 1: think Donald Gardner told a joke and all the children 410 00:24:08,400 --> 00:24:12,000 Speaker 1: started laughing, and he noticed something very significant about those 411 00:24:12,040 --> 00:24:15,919 Speaker 1: kids that inspired him. Uh, they did, and he actually 412 00:24:15,920 --> 00:24:18,639 Speaker 1: put a number thanks to the Washington Post, I know, 413 00:24:18,720 --> 00:24:22,680 Speaker 1: the actual statistic is sixteen out of the twenty two 414 00:24:22,760 --> 00:24:27,800 Speaker 1: children in the classroom, we're missing their front teeth. The 415 00:24:27,840 --> 00:24:29,680 Speaker 1: front two thing is funny when you have a kid. 416 00:24:29,800 --> 00:24:34,119 Speaker 1: My my daughter is pretty late on her teeth, losing 417 00:24:34,160 --> 00:24:36,800 Speaker 1: her baby teeth, so she still has this cute little 418 00:24:36,800 --> 00:24:41,000 Speaker 1: top baby teeth. Uh. But sometimes you'll see, like as 419 00:24:41,119 --> 00:24:43,879 Speaker 1: a kid as young as like four and five that 420 00:24:44,000 --> 00:24:48,360 Speaker 1: have these giant honkin front teeth because you know, those 421 00:24:48,400 --> 00:24:50,320 Speaker 1: adult teeth come in sometimes they don't fit in the 422 00:24:50,320 --> 00:24:53,440 Speaker 1: mouth so well. Yeah, true, but it's always funny to 423 00:24:53,440 --> 00:24:55,080 Speaker 1: see her friends at school, like a lot of them 424 00:24:55,119 --> 00:24:57,480 Speaker 1: have those big teeth. She still got her little teeth. 425 00:24:57,520 --> 00:24:59,800 Speaker 1: But losing the two front teeth is a big deal. 426 00:24:59,800 --> 00:25:02,960 Speaker 1: I remember I lost my front two in pretty quick succession. 427 00:25:03,040 --> 00:25:05,320 Speaker 1: We talked about uh, and I even put it on 428 00:25:05,320 --> 00:25:08,320 Speaker 1: my Instagram when my mom dressed me up as Huckleberry 429 00:25:08,359 --> 00:25:12,280 Speaker 1: Finn for the photo shoot, which you can find at 430 00:25:12,320 --> 00:25:16,040 Speaker 1: Chuck The at Chuck the Podcast. On my Instagram, you 431 00:25:16,080 --> 00:25:18,240 Speaker 1: have to dig back because I'm not going to repost 432 00:25:18,280 --> 00:25:21,000 Speaker 1: it or anything like that. But losing the front teeth 433 00:25:21,040 --> 00:25:22,960 Speaker 1: is a big deal. All these kids had their teeth 434 00:25:23,000 --> 00:25:26,480 Speaker 1: out and it struck. Donald Gardner is very funny and 435 00:25:26,520 --> 00:25:29,480 Speaker 1: apparently he whipped up this song you can tell in 436 00:25:29,520 --> 00:25:33,280 Speaker 1: about thirty minutes. Yeah, that's that's pretty amazing. Though he 437 00:25:33,359 --> 00:25:36,320 Speaker 1: was also like he he was a music teacher, he 438 00:25:36,359 --> 00:25:38,480 Speaker 1: also was really good at writing music as well. He 439 00:25:38,520 --> 00:25:42,720 Speaker 1: went on to write um songs for musical textbooks, among 440 00:25:42,800 --> 00:25:48,080 Speaker 1: other things. But Um the song initially was just relegated 441 00:25:48,119 --> 00:25:51,960 Speaker 1: to Smithtown Elementary for the first several years. Um, but 442 00:25:52,040 --> 00:25:54,560 Speaker 1: it became like a tradition that they still carry on today. 443 00:25:54,920 --> 00:25:58,359 Speaker 1: At Smithtown Elementary they have a holiday sing along and 444 00:25:58,760 --> 00:26:01,639 Speaker 1: um invariably they play or sing all I Want for 445 00:26:01,720 --> 00:26:05,240 Speaker 1: Christmas is my two front teeth. Um. But it really 446 00:26:05,320 --> 00:26:08,359 Speaker 1: kind of blew up in night when it was first 447 00:26:08,400 --> 00:26:12,240 Speaker 1: recorded and kind of hit. I think that's the impression 448 00:26:12,280 --> 00:26:16,280 Speaker 1: I have after Spike Jones and his City Slickers recorded it. Yeah, 449 00:26:16,320 --> 00:26:19,840 Speaker 1: there was a lady right before this who heard Gardner 450 00:26:19,880 --> 00:26:23,119 Speaker 1: sing this thing at a teacher's conference and said, that's 451 00:26:23,160 --> 00:26:26,600 Speaker 1: really catchy. Why don't you meet my boss at wit 452 00:26:26,760 --> 00:26:31,199 Speaker 1: Mark Music Company. They published the song and then, like 453 00:26:31,240 --> 00:26:34,040 Speaker 1: you said, Spike Jones and his City Slickers put it 454 00:26:34,040 --> 00:26:36,560 Speaker 1: out and it was Yeah it was. It was a 455 00:26:36,640 --> 00:26:40,400 Speaker 1: number one hit. Doesn't get much bigger, and it got 456 00:26:40,440 --> 00:26:45,560 Speaker 1: covered most um, notably by the Chipmunks. Yeah, it was 457 00:26:45,560 --> 00:26:48,200 Speaker 1: a Chipmunks song, wouldn't it. It was me and the Chipmunks. 458 00:26:48,280 --> 00:26:51,600 Speaker 1: Christmas songs are great. We listen to a lot of 459 00:26:51,680 --> 00:26:56,440 Speaker 1: Christmas music over the course of December. I love it 460 00:26:56,560 --> 00:27:00,520 Speaker 1: until I don't, right, But um, Emily she dives in 461 00:27:00,600 --> 00:27:03,040 Speaker 1: right after Thanksgiving and in fact, I wanted to play 462 00:27:03,080 --> 00:27:05,720 Speaker 1: it before Thanksgiving this year. I was like, Babe, it's 463 00:27:06,359 --> 00:27:09,639 Speaker 1: come on too early, just too early. Can we at 464 00:27:09,720 --> 00:27:12,560 Speaker 1: least wait till after Thanksgiving? So we haven't put on 465 00:27:12,600 --> 00:27:14,480 Speaker 1: the Chipmunks yet, But that's always a fun one in 466 00:27:14,520 --> 00:27:17,760 Speaker 1: the house. My favorite of all time is Frante and Tiger. 467 00:27:18,359 --> 00:27:24,800 Speaker 1: They're dueling pianos. I haven't heard that one good stuff. Yes, yes, 468 00:27:24,960 --> 00:27:27,359 Speaker 1: it is just I mean, I'm sure it's nostalgic for 469 00:27:27,400 --> 00:27:30,040 Speaker 1: me because I grew up on that, but I don't 470 00:27:30,200 --> 00:27:32,040 Speaker 1: I can't imagine anybody would hear it and be like 471 00:27:32,080 --> 00:27:35,280 Speaker 1: this is terrible. It's like, it's really great. Ferrante f 472 00:27:35,440 --> 00:27:38,000 Speaker 1: E r R A n t E and Tyker t 473 00:27:38,200 --> 00:27:40,760 Speaker 1: E I c h E R. And they actually did 474 00:27:40,760 --> 00:27:44,440 Speaker 1: the theme to Midnight Cowboy too. They were really accomplished musicians, 475 00:27:44,920 --> 00:27:47,399 Speaker 1: but they would both play grand pianos. That was like 476 00:27:47,440 --> 00:27:51,240 Speaker 1: their thing and their take on Christmas songs with two 477 00:27:51,240 --> 00:27:54,600 Speaker 1: grand pianos, and once it is really really something to hear. Well, 478 00:27:54,640 --> 00:27:56,639 Speaker 1: that's what I will try and do most times, is 479 00:27:56,680 --> 00:28:00,000 Speaker 1: put on like Christmas piano solo stuff to keep from 480 00:28:00,000 --> 00:28:04,160 Speaker 1: area the bad pop music. So I love them. Yeah, yeah, 481 00:28:04,320 --> 00:28:06,239 Speaker 1: that in a little Mannheim steam roller, and I'm all 482 00:28:06,280 --> 00:28:11,680 Speaker 1: set stirring stuff all right, I think it's slight time, 483 00:28:11,800 --> 00:28:16,560 Speaker 1: right it is. Let's slay on over to something else 484 00:28:16,560 --> 00:28:26,080 Speaker 1: with the musical annard leader. So chuck. Um. We've got 485 00:28:26,080 --> 00:28:29,840 Speaker 1: a little shorty here that we're gonna squeeze in about peppermint, 486 00:28:30,160 --> 00:28:32,040 Speaker 1: because if you stop and think about it, I can't 487 00:28:32,400 --> 00:28:35,280 Speaker 1: think of a taste, especially now that chestnut trees are 488 00:28:35,320 --> 00:28:39,520 Speaker 1: all dead. Um that is associated with Christmas more than peppermint. 489 00:28:39,600 --> 00:28:43,440 Speaker 1: You know. Yeah, you might get those little peppermints on 490 00:28:43,480 --> 00:28:46,040 Speaker 1: the way out of a restaurant, but aside from that, 491 00:28:46,120 --> 00:28:48,040 Speaker 1: you're not going to be tasting a lot of peppermint. 492 00:28:48,080 --> 00:28:51,120 Speaker 1: I don't think outside of December. No. And there's a 493 00:28:51,160 --> 00:28:54,080 Speaker 1: writer named Sam Worley for Epicurius who kind of rattles 494 00:28:54,120 --> 00:28:57,120 Speaker 1: off some good examples, like there's a bunch of Mochas 495 00:28:57,120 --> 00:29:01,080 Speaker 1: and Starbucks that uses it. There's ice cream treats called 496 00:29:01,160 --> 00:29:04,240 Speaker 1: frosty trees that I looked up. I was not aware 497 00:29:04,240 --> 00:29:06,600 Speaker 1: of frosty trees, and now I really want a frosty tree? 498 00:29:06,880 --> 00:29:09,800 Speaker 1: Have you ever had one? Now? Is it like a 499 00:29:09,880 --> 00:29:14,280 Speaker 1: hand by basically? But in the shape of a Christmas 500 00:29:14,320 --> 00:29:18,360 Speaker 1: tree made of peppermint ice cream a frozen handpie. So 501 00:29:18,360 --> 00:29:22,200 Speaker 1: so the peppermint is it's kind of the unofficial flavor 502 00:29:22,240 --> 00:29:25,800 Speaker 1: of Christmas, and Warlie asks a pretty good question like 503 00:29:25,800 --> 00:29:29,200 Speaker 1: what you know, why how did that happen? He ascribes 504 00:29:29,240 --> 00:29:31,640 Speaker 1: it to peppermint candy canes. I think that's a pretty 505 00:29:31,640 --> 00:29:33,680 Speaker 1: good case. But I also think you could make a 506 00:29:33,720 --> 00:29:36,080 Speaker 1: case that peppermint is like a cool blast of winter 507 00:29:36,160 --> 00:29:39,640 Speaker 1: in your mouth. So I can see just from that 508 00:29:39,720 --> 00:29:43,640 Speaker 1: as well being associated with it. Yeah, totally. It's not 509 00:29:43,680 --> 00:29:49,640 Speaker 1: like it tastes like you know, broiled liver. No, boy, 510 00:29:49,760 --> 00:29:52,320 Speaker 1: that would be imagine the world if that was the 511 00:29:52,360 --> 00:29:58,160 Speaker 1: taste of Christmas. Oh, as the story goes, and I 512 00:29:58,200 --> 00:30:00,160 Speaker 1: found this in a bunch of different places, and I'm 513 00:30:00,160 --> 00:30:02,720 Speaker 1: more like kind of helped to verify it at epicurious 514 00:30:02,720 --> 00:30:06,080 Speaker 1: but um, as the story goes, and certainly in the 515 00:30:06,080 --> 00:30:09,200 Speaker 1: book The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets, there was 516 00:30:09,360 --> 00:30:14,080 Speaker 1: a German choral master uh in Cologne, Germany in the 517 00:30:14,120 --> 00:30:18,960 Speaker 1: sort of latest seventeenth century who had some rally German 518 00:30:19,080 --> 00:30:21,960 Speaker 1: kids at a live nativity and was like, this is 519 00:30:21,960 --> 00:30:23,719 Speaker 1: getting out of hand every time these kids come in. 520 00:30:24,000 --> 00:30:26,960 Speaker 1: All they're doing is cutting up. So can I get 521 00:30:27,040 --> 00:30:31,480 Speaker 1: something Mr. Local candy maker, like a candy that will 522 00:30:31,560 --> 00:30:35,080 Speaker 1: last for an hour or so and keep them busy? 523 00:30:35,280 --> 00:30:39,440 Speaker 1: And voila the candy cane, right, because nothing settles kids 524 00:30:39,520 --> 00:30:43,200 Speaker 1: down like a sugar stick. Yeah, but that's how it 525 00:30:43,240 --> 00:30:46,920 Speaker 1: came up. And apparently because of that link to the Nativity, 526 00:30:47,040 --> 00:30:49,320 Speaker 1: that's the reason that candy cane is curved. It's supposed 527 00:30:49,360 --> 00:30:52,360 Speaker 1: to replicate a shepherd's staff or echo what I guess 528 00:30:52,400 --> 00:30:55,160 Speaker 1: like that. Yeah, And I think originally they were only 529 00:30:55,200 --> 00:30:58,480 Speaker 1: white and the red stripes came a little later. Uh. 530 00:30:58,520 --> 00:31:00,280 Speaker 1: And I think, you know, it's funny you think of 531 00:31:00,880 --> 00:31:03,920 Speaker 1: peppermint is like red and white, but that's I think 532 00:31:03,960 --> 00:31:07,280 Speaker 1: that's probably strictly coloring, right, Yeah, peppermint is. I mean, 533 00:31:07,320 --> 00:31:10,120 Speaker 1: it's it's a lot like spearmint. It looks very green 534 00:31:10,200 --> 00:31:13,600 Speaker 1: and leafy. Yeah. Um. And it's apparently indigenous to the 535 00:31:13,600 --> 00:31:16,800 Speaker 1: Middle East in Europe. Um, and it was used as 536 00:31:16,880 --> 00:31:20,360 Speaker 1: like a medicine for a really long time. But yeah, 537 00:31:20,440 --> 00:31:23,200 Speaker 1: I can't imagine peppermint is anything but red and white 538 00:31:23,200 --> 00:31:26,560 Speaker 1: striped too. That's what we know it as. I am 539 00:31:26,600 --> 00:31:28,960 Speaker 1: not a big peppermint guy. But I'll I'll munch on 540 00:31:28,960 --> 00:31:31,240 Speaker 1: a little candy cane every now and then for nostalgis sake. 541 00:31:31,680 --> 00:31:35,400 Speaker 1: Oh sure, I like the fruity kinds though more than anything. 542 00:31:36,480 --> 00:31:41,040 Speaker 1: Oh like the rainbow colored m What about the big 543 00:31:41,240 --> 00:31:45,440 Speaker 1: giant miniature baseball bet peppermint candy canes that you would 544 00:31:45,480 --> 00:31:48,360 Speaker 1: get as a kid. It's a little ostentatious for me. 545 00:31:48,560 --> 00:31:52,120 Speaker 1: Do you remember those though? Sure you're like, uh like 546 00:31:52,240 --> 00:31:56,000 Speaker 1: billie clubs. They were, and if you had an older brother, 547 00:31:56,080 --> 00:31:58,200 Speaker 1: they were probably used like a billy club against you, 548 00:31:58,400 --> 00:32:00,960 Speaker 1: although not Scott. Scott would ever do something like that. 549 00:32:01,000 --> 00:32:03,120 Speaker 1: He would never do that. He would he would lick 550 00:32:03,200 --> 00:32:08,080 Speaker 1: his into a vampire killing spear, right and just drive 551 00:32:08,120 --> 00:32:10,880 Speaker 1: it right through the back of your knee. That's right. Um, 552 00:32:10,960 --> 00:32:12,880 Speaker 1: So here's a little fact for you. You can you 553 00:32:12,920 --> 00:32:16,000 Speaker 1: can bust out at your next Christmas party or holiday gathering. 554 00:32:16,440 --> 00:32:19,400 Speaker 1: The candy cane was invented about two years before it 555 00:32:19,440 --> 00:32:22,400 Speaker 1: became peppermint flavor. It was this kind of clean sugar 556 00:32:22,400 --> 00:32:27,680 Speaker 1: flavor up to that point. Yeah, like lick him stick. Yeah, 557 00:32:27,960 --> 00:32:32,120 Speaker 1: I love those as well. All right, that sleigh is 558 00:32:32,120 --> 00:32:35,160 Speaker 1: calling our name, my friend, let's get in the seats 559 00:32:35,160 --> 00:32:44,560 Speaker 1: still warm. Gross. Sorry head wish had net at broiled liver. 560 00:32:48,200 --> 00:32:49,880 Speaker 1: I thought with the open air of the sleigh it 561 00:32:50,000 --> 00:32:52,360 Speaker 1: might not really hit your nostrils too bad. But no, 562 00:32:52,640 --> 00:32:57,240 Speaker 1: Christmas is ruined. I was mistaken. So speaking of Christmas, 563 00:32:58,440 --> 00:33:02,480 Speaker 1: how about Elvis? How about him? So you dug something 564 00:33:02,560 --> 00:33:06,080 Speaker 1: up about um Elvis and and Christmas? Apparently the two 565 00:33:06,160 --> 00:33:08,040 Speaker 1: went hand in hand. And if you stop and think 566 00:33:08,080 --> 00:33:11,320 Speaker 1: about Elvis, I am not at all surprised that that 567 00:33:11,320 --> 00:33:15,240 Speaker 1: that this particular season was like the end all be 568 00:33:15,440 --> 00:33:18,680 Speaker 1: all to him. Yeah, Elvis was very into his family 569 00:33:18,720 --> 00:33:23,720 Speaker 1: and his friends, very into just sort of home in 570 00:33:23,840 --> 00:33:29,920 Speaker 1: America and just a well grounded Tennessee druck at it right. 571 00:33:30,040 --> 00:33:33,000 Speaker 1: I was about to say really into Ben's a dream, 572 00:33:33,480 --> 00:33:35,400 Speaker 1: but he was way into Christmas. And I have been 573 00:33:35,440 --> 00:33:38,240 Speaker 1: to Graceland two times. I went once regular and I 574 00:33:38,280 --> 00:33:42,120 Speaker 1: went once during Christmas. You show off. It is really lovely. 575 00:33:42,240 --> 00:33:46,120 Speaker 1: I would recommend going not at Christmas. It's sort of like, uh, 576 00:33:46,760 --> 00:33:48,840 Speaker 1: if you've ever been to the Biltmore House in Asheville, 577 00:33:49,680 --> 00:33:51,840 Speaker 1: I find that the regular tour is better than the 578 00:33:51,920 --> 00:33:56,880 Speaker 1: Christmas because it's so over overdone Christmas it kind of 579 00:33:56,880 --> 00:33:58,200 Speaker 1: gets in the way, a little bit of just the 580 00:33:58,240 --> 00:34:01,800 Speaker 1: regular beauty of both of the places I see. But 581 00:34:02,080 --> 00:34:06,480 Speaker 1: Elvis did it up for Christmas. Um colored lights everywhere. Uh, 582 00:34:06,640 --> 00:34:10,680 Speaker 1: six eight ft Christmas trees out front, blue lights up 583 00:34:10,719 --> 00:34:14,560 Speaker 1: that long driveway. Uh, it's funny they call it a mansion. 584 00:34:14,840 --> 00:34:18,040 Speaker 1: Graceland was not that big. Every time people go to 585 00:34:18,080 --> 00:34:20,680 Speaker 1: Graceland for the first time, they're always like, uh, this 586 00:34:20,800 --> 00:34:24,080 Speaker 1: is it. Yeah, I remember thinking that. But it's a 587 00:34:24,120 --> 00:34:26,040 Speaker 1: fun visit, and you should, I mean you and you 588 00:34:26,040 --> 00:34:28,000 Speaker 1: we should definitely go at Christmas. If you haven't been it, 589 00:34:28,000 --> 00:34:29,920 Speaker 1: it's if you've seen it regular, then you should go 590 00:34:29,960 --> 00:34:33,560 Speaker 1: at Christmas. Yeah, we saw it regular style, not peppermint style. 591 00:34:34,880 --> 00:34:37,480 Speaker 1: You said that he lined his house with blue lights. 592 00:34:37,600 --> 00:34:41,359 Speaker 1: I just find that so wonderful. Like, yes, plain white 593 00:34:41,440 --> 00:34:44,040 Speaker 1: lights are good, even multi colored lights are good. But 594 00:34:44,239 --> 00:34:48,239 Speaker 1: something about blue lights at Christmas are just they just 595 00:34:48,440 --> 00:34:50,560 Speaker 1: they really kind of make it more Christmas Eve to 596 00:34:50,600 --> 00:34:52,799 Speaker 1: me for some reason. Totally, And that was sort of 597 00:34:52,800 --> 00:34:55,600 Speaker 1: the style back then before everyone thought like the only 598 00:34:55,600 --> 00:34:58,920 Speaker 1: thing you could do was classy white lights, right exactly. 599 00:34:59,000 --> 00:35:01,560 Speaker 1: I know you like your color lights, yeah, Now I 600 00:35:01,600 --> 00:35:05,680 Speaker 1: love the big fat multicolored bulbs. Something about the small 601 00:35:05,680 --> 00:35:08,600 Speaker 1: blue lights too. I'm kind of my tastes have evolved 602 00:35:08,600 --> 00:35:11,040 Speaker 1: into that, I think. So we have a quote here 603 00:35:11,080 --> 00:35:16,799 Speaker 1: from the Memphis Press Scimitar in nineteen sixty six where 604 00:35:16,800 --> 00:35:19,879 Speaker 1: Elvis said, it really is the best season of the year. Man. 605 00:35:21,160 --> 00:35:24,680 Speaker 1: Christmas carols, trees and lionses just grab you. Something about 606 00:35:24,719 --> 00:35:27,480 Speaker 1: Christmas and being home I just can't explain. Maybe he's 607 00:35:27,520 --> 00:35:31,279 Speaker 1: been with family and friends, time to read and study, 608 00:35:31,680 --> 00:35:34,520 Speaker 1: and of course snowball fights and the sleigh rides and 609 00:35:34,960 --> 00:35:39,759 Speaker 1: you know, just home beautiful. That was wonderful, Elvis. Yeah, 610 00:35:39,760 --> 00:35:41,920 Speaker 1: I think he did a great job describing it. So 611 00:35:42,000 --> 00:35:45,600 Speaker 1: you can imagine that Elvis, as he was, and as 612 00:35:45,680 --> 00:35:47,840 Speaker 1: rich as he was, uh, and as much as he 613 00:35:47,920 --> 00:35:51,880 Speaker 1: liked Christmas, he really overdid it with presents. Um. Usually 614 00:35:51,880 --> 00:35:56,160 Speaker 1: employees got big fat cash bonuses. Um. Friends and family 615 00:35:56,160 --> 00:35:59,560 Speaker 1: would get anything from like jewelry to cars, uh to 616 00:35:59,719 --> 00:36:02,880 Speaker 1: daw dogs. He gave a girlfriend a poodle once. Um. 617 00:36:03,000 --> 00:36:06,279 Speaker 1: He just really liked to do it up. Um. And 618 00:36:06,360 --> 00:36:10,680 Speaker 1: apparently between nineteen fifty four and nineteen seventy six he 619 00:36:10,760 --> 00:36:15,240 Speaker 1: celebrated twenty three Christmas is at at Graceland. Whenever he could, 620 00:36:15,600 --> 00:36:18,400 Speaker 1: he would make his way home and and spend the 621 00:36:18,440 --> 00:36:21,359 Speaker 1: holidays at Graceland. Uh. And more often than not he 622 00:36:21,400 --> 00:36:23,520 Speaker 1: was he was able to, that's right. And we know 623 00:36:23,600 --> 00:36:26,600 Speaker 1: this because of the book Elvis Colan Day by Day 624 00:36:27,080 --> 00:36:32,600 Speaker 1: by Ernst Jorgensen and Peter Girl Nick Garrel, Nick, I 625 00:36:32,640 --> 00:36:34,520 Speaker 1: think you got it the second time. I think so. 626 00:36:34,640 --> 00:36:37,080 Speaker 1: But they went year by year and it sounds like 627 00:36:37,160 --> 00:36:39,680 Speaker 1: day by day. But we're gonna go over a handful 628 00:36:39,719 --> 00:36:43,399 Speaker 1: of these years that are notable. In fifty four, this 629 00:36:43,480 --> 00:36:46,640 Speaker 1: is before Elvis was a big famous star, and his 630 00:36:46,680 --> 00:36:50,239 Speaker 1: family lived in a little apartment on Alabama Street. And 631 00:36:50,440 --> 00:36:53,080 Speaker 1: just the week before that, Elvis made his first sort 632 00:36:53,080 --> 00:36:57,920 Speaker 1: of musical appearance at the Louisiana Hayride radio program. A 633 00:36:57,960 --> 00:37:01,160 Speaker 1: few days after Christmas, he ended up playing a club 634 00:37:01,200 --> 00:37:05,880 Speaker 1: in Houston and his career started on its way basically. Yeah, 635 00:37:05,920 --> 00:37:08,520 Speaker 1: But nineteen fifty six was his breakout year. Get this. 636 00:37:09,040 --> 00:37:12,440 Speaker 1: He had seventeen songs on the Billboard one that year. 637 00:37:12,960 --> 00:37:15,799 Speaker 1: Three of them were number one in nineteen fifty six. 638 00:37:16,000 --> 00:37:18,759 Speaker 1: So nineteen fifty seven he had bought Grace Lane and 639 00:37:18,880 --> 00:37:22,040 Speaker 1: this is his first Christmas at Graceland, but it was 640 00:37:22,600 --> 00:37:26,520 Speaker 1: ruined by the U. S. Military that's right. A few 641 00:37:26,560 --> 00:37:29,800 Speaker 1: days before Christmas he got his draft notice and on 642 00:37:29,920 --> 00:37:33,160 Speaker 1: Christmas Eve he asked for a deferm it and got 643 00:37:33,200 --> 00:37:36,719 Speaker 1: it and pushed that by just a few months. Oh, 644 00:37:36,719 --> 00:37:39,040 Speaker 1: actually a year and a few months. Pushed this deferm 645 00:37:39,080 --> 00:37:43,360 Speaker 1: it to March twenty nine nine. Yeah, let's still just 646 00:37:43,400 --> 00:37:46,680 Speaker 1: a few months. Oh okay, yeah, that's how yours work. 647 00:37:50,239 --> 00:37:53,799 Speaker 1: You're gonna make me cough? What else? Seven in ninety Well, 648 00:37:53,920 --> 00:37:57,320 Speaker 1: his mother died. Um. It was his first Christmas without 649 00:37:57,360 --> 00:37:59,600 Speaker 1: his mother. I'm sure that was rather sad. It was. 650 00:38:00,040 --> 00:38:03,920 Speaker 1: It was also a Christmas that he's spent in Germany 651 00:38:04,040 --> 00:38:08,000 Speaker 1: because he was stationed there during his military service, so 652 00:38:08,239 --> 00:38:11,280 Speaker 1: he probably was not very happy in Christmas nineteen fifty's 653 00:38:11,320 --> 00:38:13,319 Speaker 1: trying to make the best of it. Not a blue 654 00:38:13,360 --> 00:38:15,600 Speaker 1: light to be found in Germany and his his mom 655 00:38:15,719 --> 00:38:19,279 Speaker 1: was missing, So not the best Christmas of all time. Uh. 656 00:38:19,719 --> 00:38:23,800 Speaker 1: Fifty nine was his first with Priscilla. But you mentioned 657 00:38:23,800 --> 00:38:27,239 Speaker 1: the girlfriend who got the French poodle. Um, he had 658 00:38:27,280 --> 00:38:30,120 Speaker 1: a girlfriend at the time named Anita Wood, and he 659 00:38:30,280 --> 00:38:34,200 Speaker 1: sent Anita the French poodle while he was car noodling 660 00:38:34,360 --> 00:38:40,000 Speaker 1: in Germany with Priscilla. But by nineteen sixty six, he said, 661 00:38:40,000 --> 00:38:42,879 Speaker 1: it's I'm I'm I'm gonna make an honest man out 662 00:38:42,880 --> 00:38:45,279 Speaker 1: of myself. And he proposed to to Priscilla are on 663 00:38:45,360 --> 00:38:48,920 Speaker 1: Christmas Eve, which now I understand that's a super Elvius 664 00:38:49,000 --> 00:38:53,880 Speaker 1: thing to do. UM. And apparently between nineteen sixties seven 665 00:38:53,880 --> 00:38:56,680 Speaker 1: and nineteen seventy three there wasn't a whole lot going on, 666 00:38:57,000 --> 00:39:00,759 Speaker 1: just happy normal holidays. Be as we pick up again 667 00:39:00,760 --> 00:39:04,759 Speaker 1: in Yeah, and this was you know, the last few 668 00:39:04,840 --> 00:39:07,799 Speaker 1: years of Elvis's life are well documented. Is not being 669 00:39:07,880 --> 00:39:10,560 Speaker 1: great for his health. Uh, he was having some health 670 00:39:10,600 --> 00:39:14,160 Speaker 1: problems in seventy four during Christmas, and so to pick 671 00:39:14,200 --> 00:39:17,160 Speaker 1: his spirits up, I think he flew in a gospel 672 00:39:17,200 --> 00:39:20,719 Speaker 1: backup group called Voice a few times in and out 673 00:39:20,719 --> 00:39:24,400 Speaker 1: of Memphis just so they could sing with him at Graceland. Yeah, 674 00:39:24,560 --> 00:39:28,640 Speaker 1: that's pretty cool. What about the last one? Why are 675 00:39:28,640 --> 00:39:32,040 Speaker 1: you leaving that to me? I'll take it then, So 676 00:39:32,080 --> 00:39:34,359 Speaker 1: this is the year I was born. I've always been 677 00:39:34,400 --> 00:39:39,680 Speaker 1: convinced that I am the reincarnation of Elvis. Seventy six 678 00:39:39,760 --> 00:39:44,720 Speaker 1: is the last Christmas of UM of Elvis's life. Um. 679 00:39:44,760 --> 00:39:47,160 Speaker 1: He apparently it says that he had a bizarre last 680 00:39:47,320 --> 00:39:51,480 Speaker 1: Las Vegas engagement. Was that the very famous like Vegas 681 00:39:52,600 --> 00:39:58,040 Speaker 1: fat Elvis? Well, sure in seventy six, absolutely, Okay, so 682 00:39:58,080 --> 00:40:01,319 Speaker 1: then that that happened right before Chris Miss then yeah, 683 00:40:01,360 --> 00:40:04,759 Speaker 1: but that was I can't remember the incident, but there 684 00:40:04,800 --> 00:40:06,600 Speaker 1: was one concert in particular that kind of went off 685 00:40:06,640 --> 00:40:08,680 Speaker 1: the rails. Okay, it sounds like it was this Las 686 00:40:08,800 --> 00:40:11,080 Speaker 1: Vegas one. Yeah, I think I think it's one where 687 00:40:11,120 --> 00:40:13,160 Speaker 1: like he couldn't remember lyrics and he was sweaty and 688 00:40:13,160 --> 00:40:16,600 Speaker 1: it was just a bad scene. That's not good. So um, 689 00:40:16,640 --> 00:40:20,319 Speaker 1: that was his last show before Christmas. I guess he 690 00:40:20,360 --> 00:40:22,800 Speaker 1: went and recuperated, and then two days after he started 691 00:40:22,840 --> 00:40:26,279 Speaker 1: up another tour at Wichita State UM. And then six 692 00:40:26,320 --> 00:40:30,120 Speaker 1: and a half months later he died. Where chuck on 693 00:40:30,200 --> 00:40:32,959 Speaker 1: the toilet at Graceland, right, Well, I was just gonna 694 00:40:33,000 --> 00:40:37,520 Speaker 1: say it Graceland, but yes, yeah, you can't go up 695 00:40:37,520 --> 00:40:39,360 Speaker 1: there in his in his personal quarters as you know, 696 00:40:40,200 --> 00:40:43,120 Speaker 1: totally can't go up those stairs at Graceland. So that 697 00:40:43,239 --> 00:40:46,440 Speaker 1: was Elvis and Christmas in the blue lights there. I 698 00:40:46,480 --> 00:40:48,960 Speaker 1: loved it. They were like, all right, Elvis, you got 699 00:40:49,040 --> 00:40:51,080 Speaker 1: one more tour in you. Let's let's launch it at 700 00:40:51,120 --> 00:40:54,560 Speaker 1: which is All State University. Right where all the best 701 00:40:54,560 --> 00:40:58,200 Speaker 1: tours are kicked off. All right, so we finish up 702 00:40:58,200 --> 00:41:01,200 Speaker 1: with a boozy recipe like we like to do. I 703 00:41:01,239 --> 00:41:03,920 Speaker 1: think we should be first. How about a musical interlude 704 00:41:03,920 --> 00:41:14,560 Speaker 1: from Jerry Okay, Chuck. I don't know if we had 705 00:41:14,600 --> 00:41:16,640 Speaker 1: a boozy recipe the last couple of years, so it's 706 00:41:16,640 --> 00:41:19,919 Speaker 1: time to bring it back. And this one anyone can make. 707 00:41:20,360 --> 00:41:22,680 Speaker 1: You can make it with your eyes closed, you can 708 00:41:22,719 --> 00:41:25,720 Speaker 1: make it with your feet, You can make it very easily. 709 00:41:25,800 --> 00:41:27,600 Speaker 1: If you're you could have your eight year old child 710 00:41:27,680 --> 00:41:29,520 Speaker 1: make it for you if you wanted to. It's just 711 00:41:29,600 --> 00:41:32,680 Speaker 1: that easy. But what's interesting about it. It's called moose 712 00:41:32,719 --> 00:41:37,040 Speaker 1: milk and it's associated um exclusively with the Canadian military. 713 00:41:37,520 --> 00:41:42,160 Speaker 1: That's right. Apparently all of the militaries in Canada, the 714 00:41:42,280 --> 00:41:44,399 Speaker 1: Army and the Navy and the air Force and their 715 00:41:44,560 --> 00:41:50,000 Speaker 1: moose patrol, they all claim I guess, ownership, or at 716 00:41:50,080 --> 00:41:53,719 Speaker 1: least claim to have written the recipe. But we do 717 00:41:53,840 --> 00:41:57,040 Speaker 1: know that regardless of who did it, it was a 718 00:41:57,120 --> 00:42:00,080 Speaker 1: drink that was concocted back in World War Two and 719 00:42:00,120 --> 00:42:03,040 Speaker 1: has become just a very very customary drink to have 720 00:42:03,600 --> 00:42:06,799 Speaker 1: in Canada. I think, certainly for the military, but I 721 00:42:06,840 --> 00:42:10,000 Speaker 1: think all the way around Canada, right, Yeah, especially on 722 00:42:10,080 --> 00:42:13,960 Speaker 1: Christmas and New Year's Day. So, um, there's a lot 723 00:42:14,000 --> 00:42:16,120 Speaker 1: of different things you can do. There's a lot of 724 00:42:16,160 --> 00:42:19,160 Speaker 1: different ingredients. As you'll you'll get the gist of it 725 00:42:19,200 --> 00:42:21,040 Speaker 1: from this, and you can kind of let your imagination 726 00:42:21,080 --> 00:42:23,440 Speaker 1: run wild. And that's kind of what you're supposed to do. 727 00:42:23,480 --> 00:42:26,319 Speaker 1: You're supposed to make it to taste, using as much 728 00:42:26,440 --> 00:42:29,200 Speaker 1: or as little as as you want. Um. But our 729 00:42:29,239 --> 00:42:32,440 Speaker 1: friends at Atlas Obscura found a recipe from the Cape 730 00:42:32,480 --> 00:42:37,200 Speaker 1: Breton News, and um, they recommend that you basically stay 731 00:42:37,440 --> 00:42:41,759 Speaker 1: with whiskey, rum or vodka. I've seen rum more often 732 00:42:41,760 --> 00:42:44,920 Speaker 1: than not, and apparently though the military used rum when 733 00:42:44,960 --> 00:42:47,640 Speaker 1: they ran out of whiskey. So I would recommend one 734 00:42:47,680 --> 00:42:50,040 Speaker 1: of those two. But if you don't like the Brown liquors, 735 00:42:50,160 --> 00:42:54,560 Speaker 1: vodka apparently works. Yeah. This sounds barely even drink anymore. 736 00:42:55,400 --> 00:43:00,320 Speaker 1: But I am inspired by this very soothing, sweet sounding 737 00:43:00,400 --> 00:43:04,600 Speaker 1: Christmas treat, So I'm gonna have one of these soon, Okay, 738 00:43:04,640 --> 00:43:07,200 Speaker 1: but you should probably have it in the morning because 739 00:43:07,239 --> 00:43:09,600 Speaker 1: of the first ingredient, or else you'll stay up all night. 740 00:43:10,600 --> 00:43:13,400 Speaker 1: Coffee didn't keep me up, so one cup of cold coffee, 741 00:43:15,280 --> 00:43:20,760 Speaker 1: a cup of half and half. It's a lot totally 742 00:43:20,920 --> 00:43:24,600 Speaker 1: cal Uh. What else you got in there? Ice cream? Maybe? Yeah, 743 00:43:24,640 --> 00:43:27,480 Speaker 1: one and a half cups good vanilla ice cream, not 744 00:43:27,560 --> 00:43:31,040 Speaker 1: the cheap stuff that could be vanilla bean perhaps so. 745 00:43:31,200 --> 00:43:35,279 Speaker 1: And this is UM. This is basically I don't know 746 00:43:35,320 --> 00:43:38,120 Speaker 1: how many UM servings this makes now that I think 747 00:43:38,120 --> 00:43:40,520 Speaker 1: about it, but based on the amount of liquor, I 748 00:43:40,560 --> 00:43:42,839 Speaker 1: would guess one serving because it just calls for two 749 00:43:42,840 --> 00:43:47,840 Speaker 1: ounces UM of rum, whiskey or vodka actually says and 750 00:43:48,200 --> 00:43:52,480 Speaker 1: or uh, and then a tablespoon of kohlua, and you 751 00:43:52,960 --> 00:43:55,960 Speaker 1: mix it all together in a bowl, whisk it until 752 00:43:56,040 --> 00:43:58,880 Speaker 1: the ice cream has melted, and then you put it 753 00:43:58,920 --> 00:44:01,640 Speaker 1: in a cup and top it off with either nutmeg 754 00:44:01,760 --> 00:44:05,239 Speaker 1: or dark chocolate shavings to make it classy. I would 755 00:44:05,239 --> 00:44:09,200 Speaker 1: say not for the lactose intolerant, No, definitely not. And 756 00:44:09,200 --> 00:44:11,399 Speaker 1: I've seen that mentioned like this is this is not 757 00:44:11,480 --> 00:44:14,640 Speaker 1: for for you if if you are lactose intolerant UM. 758 00:44:14,680 --> 00:44:20,040 Speaker 1: But regardless of what UM recipe you use, whoever posts 759 00:44:20,040 --> 00:44:23,759 Speaker 1: the recipe invariably mentions that if you're in the military, 760 00:44:23,840 --> 00:44:27,439 Speaker 1: go ahead and double the amount of alcohol. Call for yeah. 761 00:44:27,440 --> 00:44:29,200 Speaker 1: I mean, if you've got a cup of coffee, a 762 00:44:29,280 --> 00:44:33,200 Speaker 1: cup of cream and ice cream, I think you could 763 00:44:33,239 --> 00:44:36,600 Speaker 1: stand you know, a half a cup of rum. Sure, 764 00:44:37,680 --> 00:44:42,040 Speaker 1: I could Navy strength No, wait, that's gin. Yeah, I 765 00:44:42,080 --> 00:44:45,480 Speaker 1: think there's navy strength rum too. Though. Okay, this is 766 00:44:45,520 --> 00:44:47,200 Speaker 1: I mean, this is not too far off from a 767 00:44:48,480 --> 00:44:52,480 Speaker 1: one of those trendy espresso martinis. That's right, that's right 768 00:44:52,520 --> 00:44:55,640 Speaker 1: because the in the coffee, yeah, really kind of make 769 00:44:55,719 --> 00:44:58,560 Speaker 1: it like that. So that's kind of a fancier version. 770 00:44:58,600 --> 00:45:02,359 Speaker 1: I found another one on a cooking website called with 771 00:45:02,440 --> 00:45:06,600 Speaker 1: Love from Beck's b e X and her recipe apparently 772 00:45:06,600 --> 00:45:09,760 Speaker 1: her husband was in the Canadian military, so I'm getting 773 00:45:09,760 --> 00:45:13,720 Speaker 1: the impression that it's adapted from him. It's way easier, 774 00:45:13,920 --> 00:45:16,759 Speaker 1: it's way more straightforward. And this is the one that 775 00:45:16,800 --> 00:45:19,080 Speaker 1: you're eight year old can make for you. Yeah, this 776 00:45:19,120 --> 00:45:23,560 Speaker 1: one's got ice cream, vanilla again, uh and rum, but 777 00:45:23,680 --> 00:45:26,040 Speaker 1: this time it's got egg nog in it and then 778 00:45:26,080 --> 00:45:29,960 Speaker 1: just a little nutmeg. That's about it. So but again 779 00:45:29,960 --> 00:45:32,600 Speaker 1: you just mix it all together, mix it all together, 780 00:45:32,920 --> 00:45:36,120 Speaker 1: and then whip it up into a cup. And she 781 00:45:36,120 --> 00:45:38,880 Speaker 1: she uses like two leaders ice cream, four leaders, eggnog 782 00:45:38,960 --> 00:45:42,799 Speaker 1: two leaders, rum and a tablespoon of nutmeg. Obviously this 783 00:45:42,880 --> 00:45:47,479 Speaker 1: is for more than one person. I hope, I really hope. Yeah. 784 00:45:47,480 --> 00:45:50,360 Speaker 1: I wonder if our buddy, our colleague Alex at work 785 00:45:51,040 --> 00:45:53,880 Speaker 1: has a great tradition he does every year where he 786 00:45:53,960 --> 00:45:59,120 Speaker 1: makes the George Washington recipe for boozy eggnog and he 787 00:45:59,200 --> 00:46:01,440 Speaker 1: makes a big matches and bottles and leaves it on 788 00:46:01,440 --> 00:46:04,439 Speaker 1: his front porch and sends out the email to all 789 00:46:04,480 --> 00:46:06,879 Speaker 1: of us and says, hey, it's out there again this year. 790 00:46:07,040 --> 00:46:08,960 Speaker 1: Come by and get some if you want. Yeah, And 791 00:46:09,000 --> 00:46:12,000 Speaker 1: he makes the nog from scratch, like eggs and everything 792 00:46:12,239 --> 00:46:15,240 Speaker 1: I've made. I've made the recipe with store made eggnog, 793 00:46:15,320 --> 00:46:19,120 Speaker 1: but then with brandy, I think whiskey and rum and 794 00:46:19,160 --> 00:46:22,759 Speaker 1: it's really really good, is it? But yeah, and I've 795 00:46:22,840 --> 00:46:25,080 Speaker 1: yet to have any of Alex's. I'm sure that it's 796 00:46:25,120 --> 00:46:27,680 Speaker 1: just knock your socks off when it's made from scratch. 797 00:46:28,080 --> 00:46:31,120 Speaker 1: And Alex says a great podcast as well called Ephemeral 798 00:46:31,880 --> 00:46:35,400 Speaker 1: that we can recommend. And also before we close, I 799 00:46:35,480 --> 00:46:39,320 Speaker 1: did a guest spot on another I Heart show called 800 00:46:40,160 --> 00:46:44,400 Speaker 1: Parenting is a Joke. It's a great O'feira Eisenberg of 801 00:46:44,719 --> 00:46:47,120 Speaker 1: asked me another fame and she's got a show with 802 00:46:47,200 --> 00:46:50,440 Speaker 1: us or old buddy Julie Smith produces it. Oh really 803 00:46:50,480 --> 00:46:52,719 Speaker 1: that's awesome, Yeah, said, Julie got in touch and she's like, hey, 804 00:46:52,719 --> 00:46:56,200 Speaker 1: you want to be on talk about parenting, And so 805 00:46:56,480 --> 00:46:59,160 Speaker 1: I'm on an episode that has already dropped. It will 806 00:46:59,160 --> 00:47:00,520 Speaker 1: be a few weeks old by the time you hear 807 00:47:00,560 --> 00:47:04,840 Speaker 1: this where I talk about parenting and uh and Ruby's 808 00:47:04,840 --> 00:47:08,960 Speaker 1: adoption story. And if you stay and listen through the credits, 809 00:47:09,200 --> 00:47:13,480 Speaker 1: there's a very short, little forty five second interview with Ruby. 810 00:47:13,520 --> 00:47:16,879 Speaker 1: That's adorable. Oh that is adorable. Great plug, Chuck. It's 811 00:47:16,880 --> 00:47:18,359 Speaker 1: a check it out and it's a it's a really 812 00:47:18,360 --> 00:47:22,959 Speaker 1: good show and check out aphemeral and happy holidays everybody. Yeah, yeah, 813 00:47:23,000 --> 00:47:25,440 Speaker 1: here's the part where we wish everybody happy holidays, right, 814 00:47:26,080 --> 00:47:28,279 Speaker 1: I mean I just did. Okay, Well, I'm gonna take 815 00:47:28,280 --> 00:47:31,600 Speaker 1: it up from there. I'm gonna say Merry Christmas, Happy 816 00:47:31,640 --> 00:47:37,680 Speaker 1: New Year, have a tip top Ted, Happy Hanukah, Happy Kuanza. Sure, 817 00:47:38,200 --> 00:47:41,879 Speaker 1: happy holidays in general, however you celebrate them. We're really 818 00:47:41,880 --> 00:47:43,479 Speaker 1: glad that you hung out with us, and we hope 819 00:47:43,560 --> 00:47:46,440 Speaker 1: we gave you some holiday spirit, right, Chuck, that's right. 820 00:47:46,680 --> 00:47:48,960 Speaker 1: And uh, we always like to think of our listeners 821 00:47:49,440 --> 00:47:51,839 Speaker 1: who have a bad time this time of year, because 822 00:47:51,840 --> 00:47:54,160 Speaker 1: it's true for a lot of people. It's not all 823 00:47:54,160 --> 00:47:57,520 Speaker 1: merriment for everyone. So if the holiday seasons are rough 824 00:47:57,560 --> 00:48:00,600 Speaker 1: for you, then we are thinking about you, and you 825 00:48:00,640 --> 00:48:03,720 Speaker 1: are not alone. And uh, we just want to wish 826 00:48:03,719 --> 00:48:09,360 Speaker 1: everyone well and uh, let's let's head into feeling good. Yeah. 827 00:48:09,880 --> 00:48:12,800 Speaker 1: So from Chuck and Jerry and me and from Frank 828 00:48:12,880 --> 00:48:17,959 Speaker 1: the Chair, from Dave, c, from Max, from Ben, from 829 00:48:18,000 --> 00:48:39,239 Speaker 1: everybody here. Stuff you Should Know, I have a happy holiday. 830 00:48:39,840 --> 00:48:42,120 Speaker 1: Stuff you Should Know is a production of I Heart Radio. 831 00:48:42,640 --> 00:48:45,800 Speaker 1: For more podcasts my Heart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, 832 00:48:46,000 --> 00:48:48,920 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.