Magazine Units Christmas Recordings; Kane, Vincent discusses limericks; Arlott, John. Interview with John Arlott on his Christmas punch; Davidson, Norman shares his memories aboard a whaling ship; Grenfell, Joyce performs dramatization of life as the organizer for the Nativity Play; Brandreth, Gyles and journalist Rees, Nigel discuss the meaning behind Boxing Day; Reynolds, Peter and Tennant, Anne discuss food from the Iron Age in Britain; Smith, Michael; MacDonald, Lynne.

• Format: Audio
• Language: English
• Subjects: Oral traditions; expressions and the written word; Festive events and games; Food; Work; Christmas; Holidays; Ships; Kane; Vincent; Arlott; John; Davidson; Norman; Grenfell; Joyce; Brandreth; Gyles; Rees; Nigel; Reynolds; Peter; Tennant; Anne; Smith; Michael; MacDonald; Lynne; Antarc*; Antarctic; Arctic; Newfoundland
• Online Access: http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/ref/collection/ich_oral/id/664

The five line comic poems we call Limericks are amusing because they poke fun at subjects we all know about and use the names of places and peopleto help the rhyme. Christmas poses some particular problems in this respect as Vincent Kane has been finding out [duration: 02:37]. One of the traditional aspects of Christmas is the drinking of punch. Unfortunately, you can't buy this drink and it is something you have to make yourself. Cricket Commentator, John Arlott enjoys putting a little serious effort into his Christmas drink and so Chris Riley asked him to describe a few traditional punches [duration: 03:49]; Music plays; Christmas on a whaler - many people do jobs which keep them away from home at Christmas. The big factory ships which follow the Antarctic and Arctic whaleing fleets keep many men busy during the festivities. Norman Davidson spent one Christmas in the Arctic on a Whaler. It was a rather unpleasant place as he can still vividly recall [duration: 02:13]; The Nativity Play; Joyce Grenfell has been an entertainer and broadcaster for over twenty years and is particularly well-known for her amusing monologues. A continuing theme is her part as a teacher in a nursery school trying to remain calm and in control. Christmas always gets her children excited and a little more difficult to organise, as Joyce demonstrated with her Nursery School Nativity Play [duration: 03.55]; Boxing Day Explained; Why is the day after Christmas called Boxing Day and what are the traditions associated with it? Jovial Journalist Gyles Brandreth is an expert on the obscure traditions of Christmas and so Nigel Rees asked him first if the fact that 26th December is also Saint Stephen's Day had any significance [duration: 02:52] Iron Age Christmas - long before Christianity and Christmas, man celebrated the turn of the year with feasting, but what kind of feast would he eat? Peter Reynolds has worked on a project intended to give an idea of what life was like in Iron Age Britain, a thousand years before Christ. He has even ...