by James Coulter

Christmas is almost here. Is anyone else excited? But a more important question to ask would be: What is the reason for the season?

We pose this question in our latest episode of the Chattin on the Ridge podcast. This special Christmas Eve episode features audio dramatizations of holiday stories, both past and present.

Give the new episode a listen. And feel free to ponder the answer to our question as we present to you all these stories through our dramatic readings:

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“A Visit from St. Nicholas”

by Clement Clarke Moore

‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of sugar plums danced in their heads;

And mamma in her ’kerchief, and I in my cap,

Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap,

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window, I flew like a flash,

Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow

Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer.

Read full text here: https://poets.org/poem/visit-st-nicholas

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“Christmas? Hot? Or Not?”

from “The Light Prince: Christmas Conundrum” by J.C. Alexandre

Amber arrived at the radio station with her father and Tyler. They entered a lobby with vinyl records hanging on the walls and soft rock music playing over the sound system. Amber’s father sat on one of the couches, while the two teens approached the front desk. The secretary directed them to a hallway. Her father waved as they left.

“Good luck with the interview,” he told them. “I’ll be out here, listening and chilling.”

Strolling through the hallway, Amber and Tyler approached a large glass window. Over it hung an unlit sign that read “On the Air.”

Behind the window was a dark room with an oval-shaped table and several microphones hanging over it. Around the table sat Hannah, dressed in her usual all-black attire, T-Man, wearing a red long-sleeved sweater with a blue baseball cap backwards; and Katie, wearing a faux fur coat and her nose in a fashion magazine.

Next to them sat a much older, college-aged man. He had a greasy complexion with long unruly black hair and an equally shaggy goatee. He wore a pair of thick-rimmed glasses, a large pair of headphones, and an extra-large black shirt that barely contained his plump paunch.

The four of them were engaged in a very lively conversation, muted only by the pane of glass separating their room from the hallway. Amber gently tapped it with her knuckles, and Hannah waved for them to enter. Passing through the door, Amber and Tyler could hear the rock music playing from inside.

“Sup, dawgs!” T-Man saluted them. “Glad to see you.”

“Like, totally,” Katie said. “The more, the merrier, or some junk.”

Hannah gestured to the bearded man in the headphones. “Tyler, Amber, this is Tiny.”

Tiny stood and threw his headphones back.

“Yes-siree!” he greeted them with a squealy voice like a needle being pulled across a spinning record. “Tiny’s the name, and talking smack is my game.”

He extended a pudgy hand. Amber and Tyler took turns shaking it. Amber recoiled, smelling that he reeked like a rancid skunk. He gestured for them to sit down. Amber picked an empty chair, Tyler sat next to her, and they both rolled their seats a few inches away from Tiny.

T-Man gestured to the disk jockey as he lowered himself into his seat. “Tiny here’s our host with the most. He’ll be moderating our most righteous roundtable.”

“Yeah!” Tiny added. “And to make sure everything is legit, what with me being an adult and the rest of y’all being in high school, I have my manager here supervising us. Say hi, Kyle!”

In a corner sat an equally portly middle-aged man. Aside from his mutton chops, the rest of his face was obscured by the music magazine he was currently reading. He replied with a thumbs up, but otherwise said nothing else.

“You two came just in time,” Tiny said. “We’re about to get started with this discussion once this last song stops playing. So put your headphones on.”

Everyone put on their headphones and adjusted their microphones. When the music faded, the sign outside (its reflection shining in the glass) lit up with bright red letters: “On the Air.” Tiny pulled his microphone close to his acne-ridden face.

“Alrighty, ladies and germs,” he announced. “Hope you all got pumped up with some jammin tunes, cause we’re about to throw down with another heated session of—”

He pressed a button on his control console, and a pre-recorded voice announced over the speakers, in a reverberating echo:

“Hot? Or not?”

Read full story in paperback and e-book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DMQP6ZLJ

***

“The Nativity Story”

from Luke 2 (KJV)

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria. And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

Read full text here: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%202&version=KJV

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Listen to all of these stories dramatized on the Chattin on the Ridge podcast, available on Acast: https://shows.acast.com/chattin-on-the-ridge/episodes/minisode-06-the-reason-for-the-season-holiday-stories-and-so