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.
Please note: Most content related to this topic that is contemporary or created after 2005 can be found on our main content pages of MPR News, YourClassical MPR, The Current, APM Reports, and Marketplace.
November 27, 2003 - It's Turkey Day -- a day for feasting on fowl. But what about people who don't eat turkey? MPR’s Chris Julin thought to find some alternatives at a co-op grocery store, so he paid a visit.
November 27, 2003 - MPR’s Dan Olson presents a profile of Marian Biersdorf, the person behind the Festal canned pumpkin pie recipe.
December 4, 2003 - For artists, the holiday season is the busiest time of the year. Artists and theaters can usually look forward to their biggest paychecks. A review opening in Minneapolis casts a satirical eye on holiday productions. MPR’s Chris Roberts reports on a wonderfully bad production.
December 10, 2003 - MPR’s Chris Julin presents a Mainstreet Radio report on the Greenberg family, who bring holiday music to the Duluth area.
December 12, 2003 - MPR’s Marisa Helms reports on thousands of Mexican Americans in Minnesota celebrating a Mexican national holiday, the Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe.
December 12, 2003 - Jan McElfish, member of the American Swedish Institute, gives MPR’s Great Cunningham a tour of the Turnblad Turn-blahd Mansion during the holiday season.
December 19, 2003 - MPR’s Duluth reporter Chris Julin reflects on a student named Grace from a holiday season past.
December 23, 2003 - Throughout the first part of December, Minnesota Public Radio has asked listeners to join in the spirit of the season by setting new lyrics to old holiday tunes. The entries were judged, and winners have been chosen. In the "Jingle Bells" category, open to young people, Michelle Boursier of Maple Grove, was the winner. Segment includes interview with Michelle and a clip from her entry, recorded by the singing group “Dare to Breathe."
December 26, 2003 - MPR’s David Molpus interviews Don Blyly about a peculiar Christmas Day surprise at his Minneapolis bookstore.
November 27, 2004 - There's a big party going on right now at River Centre in St. Paul. It's the Hmong New Year...and for the Hmong a New Year's Eve party means traditional costumes, dancing, singing and most importantly family. Dao Bay of the Lao Family Community of Minnesota is one of the organizers of celebration and speaks with MPR’s Stephine Curtis on how they determined when it is the new year.