Minnesotans know that with the coming of bitter cold, something else is knocking on the door. The holiday season is a time of tales, readings, song, and reflection. Get your fill of lutefisk; hear the church bells rung “the old fashioned way;” take a tour of Hmong New Year; feel the melancholy of the farm; experience foreign students first encounters with turkeys and pumpkin pies; and learn the history of fruitcake. These are some of the wide-ranging stories of Minnesota holiday life that await your senses.
November 20, 1972 - MPR’s Mark Heistad shares a poignant childhood memory of the sights, sounds and smells on a rural farm during the harvest season.
December 23, 1975 - MPR’s Bill Siemering interviews Ole Olson, who shares happy Christmas memories from the Minnesota and Dakota prairies in the 1880s. Decorations were tumbleweeds, an apple was a gift, and you did not go out and play in the snow.
November 25, 1976 - A special Midday program presents a selection of readings for Thanksgiving Day.
December 5, 1978 - MPR’s Nancy Fushan presents a report on Minnesota Historical Society’s exhibit, called "The Wish Book." The exhibit explores the role of the mail order catalog in American life at the turn-of-the-century.
December 4, 1979 - MPR’s Dan Olson explores the latest endeavors of retailers during the holiday season. Report includes interview with John Pellegrene, member of Dayton’s Marketing Division, who explains “the future” of shopping via a touch screen computer terminal; and others who look to the more traditional avenues in giving.
December 15, 1979 - A discussion on the meaning and history of Hanukkah. Segment includes musical elements.
December 23, 1981 - Bruce Bomier and his daughter, Beth, discuss Christmas elves. The Bomiers’ express the need for more appreciation of elves.
December 18, 1982 - Dale Connelly and team present beloved “journalist” Bud Buck talking with a “specialty retailer” about holiday shopping gift ideas.
November 22, 1984 - MPR’s Doug Hamilton interviews Ron Libertus, of the Ojibwe Nation, on his thoughts on Indian studies and Thanksgiving. Libertus discusses the concept of “giving thanks.”
December 24, 1984 - A Christmas card from KSJN's Morning Edition. In this edition of The Sounds of the Season from Around the Twin Cities, a glimpse into the life of Toy Wonder Shop in Minneapolis, with owner Hass Benoit.