or


[11/08/10 - 10:01 AM]
"The Real Story of Christmas Premieres" on Tuesday, November 30 at 8 PM ET on History(R)
The one-hour special "looks across 2,000 years of history to explore the sacred and secular influences that gave rise to the Christmas we know today."
[via press release from History]

HISTORY unwraps the surprising origins of Yuletide customs in...

THE REAL STORY OF CHRISTMAS

Premieres on Tuesday, November 30 at 8 pm ET on HISTORY(R)

November 8, New York, NY - Why do we prop trees up in our living rooms and exchange gifts every December? What exactly is a Yule log? Where did Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer come from?

From Santa to stockings, many modern Christmas traditions originated in ancient times. In fact, the true story of Christmas in the 21st century bears little resemblance to the holly-jolly tales we cherish today. THE REAL STORY OF CHRISTMAS, a new one-hour special premiering on Tuesday, November 30 at 8 pm on HISTORY, looks across 2,000 years of history to explore the sacred and secular influences that gave rise to the Christmas we know today - and makes sense of the holiday rituals we perform each December.

As THE REAL STORY OF CHRISTMAS shows, many of our seemingly innocent customs evolved from strange, surprising or even disturbing beginnings. With its roots in the Pagan celebration of the winter solstice, early Christmas was both a day of prayer and festival of drunken revelry. Rowdy medieval carolers begged for food and drink, threatening to throw rocks through the windows of those who refuse. Christmas was actually banned for years in America during the 16th and 17th centuries. And the Santa of old world legend was accompanied not by elves but by a devil named Krampus who beat and kidnapped naughty children.

THE REAL STORY OF CHRISTMAS joins HISTORY's lineup of fall specials exploring the connections between modern holidays and early history, including THE REAL STORY OF HALLOWEEN and THE REAL STORY OF THANKSGIVING.

THE REAL STORY OF CHRISTMAS is produced for HISTORY by Workaholic Productions. Matthew Hickey and Luke Ellis are the Executive Producers for Workaholic Productions. Susan E. Leventhal is the Executive Producer for HISTORY.

HISTORY(TM) and HISTORY HD(TM) are the leading destinations for revealing, award-winning original non-fiction series and event-driven specials that connect history with viewers in an informative, immersive and entertaining manner across multiple platforms. Programming covers a diverse variety of historical genres ranging from military history to contemporary history, technology to natural history, as well as science, archaeology and pop culture. Among the network's program offerings are hit series such as American Pickers, Ax Men, The Universe, Ice Road Truckers, Chasing Mummies, Top Shot and Pawn Stars, as well as acclaimed specials including America the Story of Us, WWII In HD, 102 Minutes That Changed America, Moonshot and Life After People. HISTORY has earned four Peabody Awards, seven Primetime Emmy(R) Awards, 12 News & Documentary Emmy(R) Awards and received the prestigious Governor's Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for the network's Save Our History(R) campaign dedicated to historic preservation and history education. Take a Veteran to School Day is the network's latest initiative connecting America's schools and communities with veterans from all wars. The HISTORY website, located at www.history.com, is the leading online resource for all things history, featuring over 20,000 videos, images, audio clips, articles and interactive features that allow visitors to dig deeper into a broad range of thousands of historical topics.





  [november 2010]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
 


· SHOWATCH
(series past and present)
· DEVWATCH
(series in development)
· MOVIEWATCH
(tv movies and mini-series)




[12/23/24 - 06:01 AM]
Video: "All Creatures Great and Small" Season 5 Trailer
Toast to an all-new season, premiering on Sunday, January 12 at 9:00/8:00c.
[12/23/24 - 06:01 AM]
Video: "Zero Day" - Official Teaser - Netflix
After a cyberattack sabotages transportation and power infrastructure across the U.S., former President George Mullen is asked to find the culprit.
[12/23/24 - 12:01 AM]
Video: "Lovers Anonymous" - Teaser - Netflix
Cem, scarred by a childhood that crushed his trust in love, runs the "Love Hospital," until Hazal, who believes in the power of love, disrupts his life.
[12/22/24 - 07:01 PM]
Netflix Showcases Global Anime Hits and New Releases at Jump Festa 2025
Netflix showcased its exciting lineup of recent and upcoming anime titles at Jump Festa 2025, the largest annual manga and anime fan convention.

[12/21/24 - 01:36 PM]
Video: A Thrilling New Crime Drama Begins - "The Hunting Party" - NBC
The hunt is on. When serial killers escape from a secret prison, one elite team must track them down before they kill again.
[12/20/24 - 05:57 PM]
Video: Preview - A Brand New Era - "When Calls the Heart"
"When Calls the Heart" enters a brand new era with an all-new season, starting Sunday, January 5 at 9:00/8:00c.

[12/20/24 - 11:33 AM]
Season Finale of NBC Drama "Brilliant Minds" Will Now Air as a Special Event with Back-to-Back Episodes on Monday, Jan. 6
The original season finale date was a week later on January 13.
[12/20/24 - 11:04 AM]
ID's New Series "The Curious Case Of..." to Premiere with Explosive, Expanded Episode Focused on Former "Jackass" Star Bam Margera's Controversial Legal Guardianship
Featuring "The Curious Case of Natalia Grace" legal analyst Beth Karas, the series will dive into some of the most shocking true crime cases and unbelievable scandals.
[12/20/24 - 10:32 AM]
FOX Sports Films, SMAC Entertainment, BZ Entertainment and NFL Films Announce "The Madden Cruiser: A Bayou Adventure with Bill Belichick" Airing Super Bowl Sunday on FOX
The one-hour special features eight-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick as he travels in the iconic "Madden Cruiser" bus of Hall of Fame legend John Madden on an unforgettable road trip through Louisiana's football country with a host of special guests.
[12/20/24 - 10:02 AM]
Onyx Collective Presents Winter Premiere Dates and First Looks for Documentary Film "SLY LIVES! (aka The Burden of Black Genius)" and New Comedy Series "Deli Boys"
The former premieres Thursday, February 13 while the latter launches on Thursday, March 6.
[12/20/24 - 09:27 AM]
MTV's "Teen Mom" Celebrates Its Sweet 16 with a New Season of "Teen Mom: The Next Chapter" on Thursday, January 30th at 8PM ET/PT
The groundbreaking docu-series that has never shied away from authentic, unfiltered narratives will return for its milestone 16-year anniversary with Amber Portwood, Ashley Jones, Briana DeJesus, Catelynn Baltierra, Cheyenne Davis, Jade Cline, Leah Messer, Maci McKinney and Mackenzie McKee.

[12/20/24 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "Bandidos" Season 2 - Official Trailer - Netflix
Lilí and Miguel's peaceful escape is shattered when she's forced into a risky quest for the Tear of Fire diamond, risking everything to save her friends.
[12/20/24 - 08:31 AM]
Video: New Netflix Sports Promo Highlights Upcoming Sports Programming
Netflix continues to expand its sports slate, offering members a wide variety of sports programming across series, films and live events, including the recent record-breaking Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul fight and the upcoming NFL Games on Christmas Day and the debut of "WWE Raw" on Netflix next year.
[12/20/24 - 07:31 AM]
"Stranger Things 5" - That's a Wrap!
Production on the fifth and final season has officially wrapped, set to premiere in 2025.
[12/20/24 - 06:01 AM]
Netflix Secures U.S. Rights to the FIFA Women's World Cup 2027 and 2031
The agreement covers all languages, with studio shows and top-tier talent planned with a dual telecast for both English and Spanish language broadcasts in the U.S.