Most of our holiday standards were written between 1942 and 1952, in a burst of activity inspired by the enormous success of Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas,” and came into existence in various and surprising ways. Taken together, the stories behind these immortal songs paint a fascinating cultural picture of America itself during the era of and after World War Two. Note: Some portions of this presentation were pre-recorded.

Part II includes discussion of the songs All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth, Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty The Snow Man, I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus, Silver Bells, There’s No Place Like Home For The Holidays, and A Holly Jolly Christmas.