logo
episode-header-image
Dec 2024
36m 9s

The First Recorded Christmas Was The Lat...

iHeartPodcasts
About this episode

Whether or not you yourself celebrate Christmas, there's no denying it's one of the world's most well'known holidays -- in fact, this commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ may be the most famous birthday in the Western world. Yet, as Ben, Noel and Max discover in this holiday episode, experts still don't know when Jesus was actually born. Humans didn't really celebrate Christ's birthday as December 25th until centuries after his death... which means one of the world's most famous birthdays was also one of the absolute latest birthday parties ever.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up next
Yesterday
The Secret World Of Roald Dahl, with Aaron Tracy, Part Two: the Man Behind the Author
A beloved children's author. A spy. An ace fighter pilot, a notorious lady's man, and a strident antisemite: Roald Dahl was all these things and more. In the second part of this special two-part interview, the guys welcome back Aaron Tracy, the award-winning creator of The Secret ... Show More
35m 10s
Feb 3
The Secret World Of Roald Dahl, Part One: A "Noisy" Life
Nowadays, most everyone knows a classic Roald Dahl story — yet who knows the man himself? In the first part of this special two-part interview, the guys welcome Aaron Tracy, the award-winning creator of The Secret World of Roald Dahl, as he blasts beyond the bluster of headlines ... Show More
36m 40s
Jan 31
CLASSIC: Operation Gunnerside: How a Crew of Military Skiers Ruined the Nazi Bomb
What's the weirdest wartime heist you've ever heard of? In today's Classic episode, Ben, Noel and Max return to one of their favorites: On February 27, 1942, nine saboteurs set out in the middle of the night to blow up a Nazi-controlled heavy water plant in Norway. This operation ... Show More
26m 59s
Recommended Episodes
Dec 2024
When was Jesus actually born? Chapter One: An Origin Story
It's December 25th, 2024. Across this wide world, people commemorate one of the most famous birthdays in all of history: the birth of Jesus Christ. Then as now, adherents of Christianity celebrate the coming of the Messiah -- yet why does this holiday occur on a specific date in, ... Show More
44m 51s
Dec 2024
When was Jesus actually born? Chapter Two: Why December?
Why is the Western world's most famous birthday celebrated on a seemingly-arbitrary date? As Ben, Matt and Noel discover in the second chapter of this special two-part holiday series, the power structures of ancient empires experienced a progression of conspiracies, geopolitical ... Show More
38m 25s
Dec 2024
171: Christmas Special VIII: Festivities in the Jazz Age
“There is a million dollars here for the asking!” This is the story of Christmas in the 1920s. Yeah, the whole decade—why not? One hundred years ago, people were just beginning (or reviving) traditions that are entrenched in our holiday celebrations today. Charitable giving at Ch ... Show More
34m 10s
Dec 2013
108 – The Christmas Special
Ever since I was a kid in Catholic school, I’ve been somewhat fascinated by the date of Christmas. I often wondered where it came from, given that it doesn’t appear anywhere in the Bible, and (as the feast is celebrating the birth of Jesus) it seemed rather odd to set the date so ... Show More
17m 7s
Dec 2024
A Very Terminator Christmas
What happens when the biggest movie star in the world directs the smallest Christmas film on basic cable? A holiday miracle.  Today on the show: The never-before-published, extremely bizarre story of the making of ‘Christmas in Connecticut’... the remake.  See omnystudio.com/list ... Show More
44m 18s
May 2024
Heart and Soul: A Colombian Christmas in February
In the heart of Colombia, very special Christmas celebrations take place not in December but in February. Its roots lie in the days of slavery when many Afro-Colombians were serving their masters' festivities during that time. In an act of cultural and racial resistance that has ... Show More
26m 30s
Aug 2024
Belinda Leto: Throwing Birthdays for 6,000 Kids! (Pt 1)
Belinda never dreamed of starting a birthday charity, until she was asked to provide a birthday party for a boy who wouldn’t otherwise have one. And only 5 years later, Celebrate Birthdays and their own Army of Normal Folks, have provided birthday celebrations to over 6,000 kids. ... Show More
38m 29s
Dec 2024
Christmas Décor
tail spinning
37m 9s