Happy October everyone! In today's episode I share a listener's memory from a cozy farm in Canada and he tells us about how his town welcomes Christmas. Then I head over to Portugal and share a couple of fun Christmas traditions the town of Braga has on Christmas eve. Finally, I read the essay Old Thoughts for Christmas by Christopher Morley. Published during the Christmas season after the Treaty of Versailles was signed, Morley ponders the gift of peace and the need for kindness after such a horrific world war - and finds that Christmas can bring these things to us.

And be sure to keep an eye out on the youtube channel this week as I'll be posting a video review of the book Mrs. Claus and the Santaland Slayings by Liz Ireland.

An excellent website for information about Christmas in Portugal: https://www.portugalist.com/portugal-christmas/

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Mrs. Claus and the Santaland Slayings (Amazon/Bookshop)

Mrs. Claus and the Halloween Homicide (Amazon/Bookshop)

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Timestamps

00:00 Introduction

00:40 What's making me cozy: Mrs. Claus, Private Eye...

01:56 Mail Bag: Listener Memory

07:06 Christmas in Portugal

09:48 Old Thoughts for Christmas, by Christopher Morley