In Search of Santa

Submitted by ni-radio on December 19, 2007 - 4:34pm.

Ho, ho, ho! The Radio New Internationalist team had a good laugh when we found out where Santa - or St Nicholas - really came from. It's another indication that, when it comes to Christmas, history gets swept aside and traditions take over. Dick Gross, author of Godless Gospel: A modern guide to meaning and morality, jumps on the sleigh with Chris Richards as we search for Santa and the meaning of Christmas.

  • In Turkey, Danielle North points us in the direction of where St Nicholas lived and worked.
  • From the United States, author Mark Pendergrast explains the transition from scrawny St Nicholas to jolly Santa.
  • From Israel, peace campaigner Uri Avnery paints a picture of what Christmas is like in a divided Jerusalem, and his blueprint for uniting the city.
  • From England, Tori Ray from Friends of the Earth unwraps some tips about how a white Christmas can be made greener.

Today's program features music from one of a regularly featured artist and the author of the our theme music, Bob Brozman. As this program's theme is a light one, the music on the show reflects that - literally! Its "Lumiere" performed by the Bob Brozman Orchestra and available on the World Music Network's wonderful collection of inspiring music from all corners of the globe.

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