The hottest Christmas Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Culture Topics

Composing 'A Charlie Brown Christmas'

Animation Obsessive • 13095 implied HN points • 20 Dec 24
🎭️ Culture Music Animation Television Jazz Christmas
  1. The music of 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' by Vince Guaraldi became a key part of what makes the special so beloved. Many people love this Christmas classic mainly because of its wonderful soundtrack.
  2. Guaraldi wasn't widely known when he composed the score, and he thought it was just another gig. Yet, this music changed his career and became defining for the 'Peanuts' series.
  3. The show faced tight deadlines and a small budget, which made the team worried it would flop. Surprisingly, it became a big success and has remained a holiday favorite for years.

Make Your Own Festive Biscuit Box

Vittles • 125 implied HN points • 05 Dec 24
🍲 Food & Drink Recipes Baking Christmas Traditions
  1. You can easily make your own festive biscuit box with simple recipes. It's a fun way to share baked treats with friends and family during Christmas.
  2. There are three easy biscuit recipes: chocolate-dipped oat cookies, spiced ginger thins, and saffron shortbread. Each can be prepared quickly and adapted to your taste.
  3. Baking for others is a great way to spread joy during the holidays. You don't need to be an expert to create something special for your loved ones.

Chartbook 257: Santa's workshop economy and the question of unfree elvish labour.

Chartbook • 1716 implied HN points • 24 Dec 23
🎭️ Culture Christmas Economics Mythology Labor Podcasts
  1. The economics of Santa's workshop involves serious questions about sovereignty over the North Pole.
  2. There is debate about whether elvish labor in Santa's workshop can be considered as unfree or 'slave' labor.
  3. Reindeer play a crucial role in Santa's workshop economy, with an interesting fact being that all of Santa's reindeer with antlers are female.

Dear AI, Please Draw me Historical London Christmas Scenes

Londonist: Time Machine • 659 implied HN points • 27 Dec 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Historical London Christmas
  1. Londonist and Matt Brown collaborated to create historical Christmas scenes of London using an AI image generator.
  2. The festive edition of Londonist included these AI-generated images, deviating from their usual historical content.
  3. To view the full post and access the archives, readers were encouraged to start a 7-day free trial of Londonist: Time Machine.
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A Meaning of Christmas

Atlas of Wonders and Monsters • 390 implied HN points • 21 Dec 23
🎭️ Culture Christmas Family Meaning Traditions
  1. Christmas carols often emphasize the birth of a baby, connecting Christmas to celebrating new life and happiness.
  2. Being pro-natalist means believing in the value of having more babies for philosophical, practical, economic, and cultural reasons.
  3. Reflecting on the declining fertility rates globally, there is a cultural importance in considering the celebration of birth and supporting the idea of having children during Christmas.

Who Really Won Christmas Day? The NBA, NFL, or Netflix?

Huddle Up • 11 implied HN points • 27 Dec 24
🎾 Sports NBA NFL Ratings Media Christmas
  1. The NBA has traditionally been the main sports attraction on Christmas Day. It has built a strong audience over the years for their holiday games.
  2. The NFL is gaining popularity and has started to compete with the NBA for viewership on Christmas. This shows that preferences in sports are shifting.
  3. Netflix is also becoming a competitor for viewers on Christmas, highlighting how streaming services are changing how people spend their holiday time.

Letter from the Western Front, Christmas Day 1914

Logos • 19 implied HN points • 20 Dec 23
💾 History War Conflict Peace Christmas Letters
  1. During the Christmas truce of 1914, British and German soldiers stopped fighting to sing carols and celebrate together. This surprising moment of peace showed their shared humanity despite being enemies.
  2. Soldiers exchanged gifts, stories, and even laughter, realizing they had things in common like hope, fears, and loved ones back home. It highlighted that they were not just soldiers but human beings with feelings.
  3. The letter reflects on how this brief friendship made the soldiers question the nature of war. It suggests that if countries could communicate with kindness instead of hostility, perhaps conflicts could be resolved more peacefully.

December, twenty years ago

The Leftovers • 39 implied HN points • 24 Dec 21
🎭️ Culture Christmas Poverty Inequality Weather Social Issues
  1. During Christmas in the Southern Hemisphere, looting used to be a sign that the holiday was close due to issues like poverty, inflation, and unemployment.
  2. TV pundits often commented on the ethics of looting, mentioning the types of items looted and the reasons behind it.
  3. The combination of poverty, anger, inequality, and high temperatures in December created a tense environment that led to looting incidents.

Christmas in the Victorian hospital

The Quack Doctor • 0 implied HN points • 22 Dec 23
💾 History Victorian Christmas London Medical
  1. In the 1890s, hospitals in London made efforts to bring Christmas cheer to patients with gifts, carol singing, festive decorations, and special meals.
  2. Hospital staff, including medical students, actively participated in the celebrations, dressing up, performing shows, and organizing activities to lift spirits.
  3. Charitable donations from local communities funded the Christmas celebrations in hospitals, highlighting the importance of bringing comfort and joy to those in need during the festive season.

Greensleeves (What Child is This)

Variations on a Theme • 0 implied HN points • 22 Dec 23
🎶 Music Classical Christmas History
  1. Greensleeves, also known as 'What Child is This,' is a traditional English song from the 16th century associated with Christmas.
  2. The song has an interesting history, with its lyrics tying to the idea of Lady Green Sleeves, and it was associated with Christmas as far back as 1686.
  3. Different lyrics variations are connected to the song, with one popular version being William Chatterton Dix's 'What Child Is This.'

Christmas, Best-ofs, Sports Media, Meritocracy and More

Counting Atoms • 0 implied HN points • 13 Jan 24
🎭️ Culture Christmas Sports Media Meritocracy Art Music
  1. The post shares various interesting links and articles on topics like Christmas, sports media, and meritocracy.
  2. The writer is clearing out browser tabs and sharing thoughts on different articles and blog posts.
  3. There are reflections on music, sports media, meritocracy arguments, and emotional dependence on celebrities in the post.