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.
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December 9, 1995 - Mainstreet Radio’s Leif Enger profiles mincemeat, and the lack of love for it in contemporay American appetite. Enger looks at the history of this unique pie.
December 23, 1995 - Duluth author Michael Fedo reads his short story “Christmas Chaos.” The title is not an exaggeration.
November 27, 1996 - MPR’s Leif Enger interviews Mary McGowan, owner of Trocano’s restaurant, about opening the doors to local community for Thanksgiving.
December 14, 1996 - MPR’s Greta Cunningham interviews author Lee Smith about using Christmas letters as an idea for creating a novel…with recipes, of course.
December 24, 1996 - MPR’s Chris Roberts interviews local singer/songwriter Stuart Davis on his unique holiday show "Break from the Relatives."
December 25, 1996 - Minnesota author Ann Daly Goodwin commentary on the holiday surprise of cookies and joy of togetherness.
November 27, 1997 - On this Midday call-in program, a focus on questions about charitable giving…Who we help and why we help? Does the help make a difference in people's lives? Studio guest Major Robert Thomson, the northern division secretary of the Salvation Army in Minnesota and North Dakota, answers these and other questions from listeners.
December 5, 1997 - Midday presents a special Voices of Minnesota, with Minnesota writer Bill Holm reading from his book Faces of Christmas Past, a collection of essays and reminiscences about Christmas in Iceland and Minnesota.
December 19, 1997 - MPR’s Laura McCallum reports on Penumbra's “Black Nativity.” Every family has their holiday traditions, but few are as complex as one Minneapolis family, whose season revolves around the Penumbra Theatre's annual production of “Black Nativity.” No fewer than five members of the Whitlock family are involved in the show, which tells the Christmas story through gospel and spiritual songs. McCallum interviews family members, including Lewis and Jennifer Whitlock.
November 27, 1998 - MPR’s Lynette Nyman reports on thousands of people gathering in St. Paul’s RiverCentre to celebrate the Hmong New Year. It's a time of cultural and commercial significance as people visit friends and family, browse Hmong merchandise, and watch performances of both traditional and modern dances. Nyman speaks with various participants at the event.