Ep. 141: The History of Christmas, Zoo Escape Drills, and Chinese Secret Police

It's that time of year, and as Ben and Pat wrap up their last-minute Christmas preparations, they also took the time to ponder how the Christmas season came to be in the first place. On the final episode of 4Thirty for 2024, the guys bring out the Figgy pudding, and their history books, as they dive deep into the origins of the holiday, from the actual birth of Christ, to the reason why Christmas is celebrated on December 25th, and more. The guys also share some of their classic news stories this week, along with plenty of their own tales of Christmas's past. Did Jesus ever celebrate his own birthday? Did Emperor Constantine try to line up the celebration of Christmas with other pagan festivals of the time? Who was the first U.S. President to feature a Christmas tree in the White House? For answers to these questions and a yuletide more, please give this extra festive episode of 4Thirty of the Morning a listen! Merry Christmas!