The Origins of Santa Claus: A Rediscovered Biography

The Origins of Santa Claus: A Rediscovered BiographyTop of Mind with Julie Rose • Season 1, Episode 708, Segment 5

Dec 21, 2017 • 18m

Guest: Pamela McColl, Publisher, Grafton & Scratch Publishers Every superhero has an origin story. What about Santa? He circles the globe in a single night on a flying sleigh, delivering toys down the chimneys of good boys and girls. That’s pretty superheroic. What’s his backstory? Was he always jolly? Did he have a happy childhood? Nearly a century ago, a reporter named Sarah Addington decided to plug the gaps in our knowledge of Santa, with her illustrated children’s book called “The Boy Who Lived in Pudding Lane.” The boy is Santa. And spoiler-alert: Santa’s grandma is none other than Mother Goose.

Other Segments

Why "Concealed Carry Reciprocity" is a Bigger Deal than It SoundsDec 21, 201719mGuest: Adam Winkler, JD, Professor of Constitutional Law, UCLA School of Law, and Author, “Gunfight: The Battle over the Right to Bear Arms in America” and “We the Corporations: How American Businesses Won Their Civil Rights” In early December, two months after the deadliest shooting in US history and just a week before the five-year anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary massacre, the US House of Representatives passed a bill to boost enhancing background checks for gun purchases. But the bill also includes a provision requiring states to recognize concealed carry permits issued by other states.

Guest: Adam Winkler, JD, Professor of Constitutional Law, UCLA School of Law, and Author, “Gunfight: The Battle over the Right to Bear Arms in America” and “We the Corporations: How American Businesses Won Their Civil Rights” In early December, two months after the deadliest shooting in US history and just a week before the five-year anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary massacre, the US House of Representatives passed a bill to boost enhancing background checks for gun purchases. But the bill also includes a provision requiring states to recognize concealed carry permits issued by other states.

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Do Different Generations Balance Family and Work Differently?Dec 21, 201714mGuest: Misty Bennett, PhD, Assistant Professor of Human Resources and Organizational Behavior, Central Michigan University Which comes first: work or family? Common stereotypes would say “Millennials” place a higher priority on personal and family activities while their hard-working “Baby Boomer” parents or grandparents tend to see company loyalty as very important. But, a team at Central Michigan University finds Millennials are a lot more willing than you might think to put work at their center of their lives.

Guest: Misty Bennett, PhD, Assistant Professor of Human Resources and Organizational Behavior, Central Michigan University Which comes first: work or family? Common stereotypes would say “Millennials” place a higher priority on personal and family activities while their hard-working “Baby Boomer” parents or grandparents tend to see company loyalty as very important. But, a team at Central Michigan University finds Millennials are a lot more willing than you might think to put work at their center of their lives.

Christmas Stories with The Apple SeedDec 21, 201710mGuest: Sam Payne, Host, The Apple Seed, BYUradio

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The Nutcracker's Origins in American Christmas TraditionDec 21, 201721mGuest: Adam Sklute, Artistic Director, Ballet West “The Nutcracker” ballet is an international holiday tradition. But the US version of it has its roots in Utah, with the founder of Ballet West, who staged the first full-length production of it in America back in 1944. To this day, much of Ballet West’s Nutcracker bear the marks of that original choreographer – Mr. C., as he’s known. Until this year, some of the costumes and sets dated back nearly that far, too. Which is why it was high time for the multi-million dollar makeover Ballet West gave its Nutcracker this year.

Guest: Adam Sklute, Artistic Director, Ballet West “The Nutcracker” ballet is an international holiday tradition. But the US version of it has its roots in Utah, with the founder of Ballet West, who staged the first full-length production of it in America back in 1944. To this day, much of Ballet West’s Nutcracker bear the marks of that original choreographer – Mr. C., as he’s known. Until this year, some of the costumes and sets dated back nearly that far, too. Which is why it was high time for the multi-million dollar makeover Ballet West gave its Nutcracker this year.