Interview: Thomas Ruys Smith on the Christmas Stories of 19th Century America

The Christmas stories of 19th century America provide a window into American history itself. These stories reflect the values and politics of pre- and post-Civil-War America, in addition to chronicling the makings of our modern Christmas celebration. That's the topic of the new book,  Christmas Past: An Anthology of Seasonal Stories from Nineteenth-Century America. The author, professor Thomas Ruys Smith from the University of East Anglia, joins me in this episode for a Christmassy literary tour through a century — with many surprises along the way. This is our final episode of September. One Ber Month down, three to go! Stay subscribed for more Ber Month fun leading up to the "official" Christmas Past season, starting on Thanksgiving Day. Share your Christmas memories on the podcast! Record a voice memo into your phone and send it to christmaspastpodcast at g mail dot comMusic in this episode"Allie Mine" — Blue Dot Sessions, via Free Music ArchiveConnect with Me Links to all the things https://christmaspastpodcast.com/links Email: [email protected] BooksOf Christmases Long, Long Ago: Surprising Traditions from Christmas Past (2025, Lyons Press and Recorded Books) It's Christmas as you've never seen it before, and it makes a great gift for all the Christmas lovers in your life. Christmas Past: The Fascinating Stories Behind Our Favorite Holiday's Traditions (2022, Lyons Press and Recorded Books)