Program 427: More European Christmas Traditions

What traditions do you observe, to get you in the mood for Christmas?  Maybe it includes eating fresh oysters, or fermented trout? 

On the next Travel with Rick Steves, we'll learn about the seasonal traditions people observe in France, Norway, Greece, London, the Spanish Basque Country, and small town Italy.   We'll learn about the gift-giving cousins of Santa Claus, who live on a farm or in the woods, instead of at the North Pole, and how decorated boats are a sign of the season in Greece.  

Enjoy a taste of European holiday traditions, on this week's Travel with Rick Steves. 

Important note to stations that air on Thursdays:
We have three holiday-themed shows scheduled to air in December — two about Christmas traditions, and one which includes European traditions for New Year's Eve.  If you air the show two days ahead of the Saturday release date, you will end up airing a New Year's show on Christmas Eve. This requires adding in an extra show for you this week (for 12/10/15), and using the following schedule before you can get back to airing the show two days prior to the release date. This way your listeners won't have to miss any of our new interviews by getting back to schedule on a repeat date in mid-January.

Please follow this schedule for Thursday broadcasts of Travel with Rick Steves through January 14, and then you can resume the two-day early broadcast on January 21:

Dec. 10            Program #348a
Dec. 17            Program #427
Dec. 24            Program  #270c
Dec. 31            Program #428
Jan. 7, 2016    Program #429
Jan. 14             Program #430
Jan. 21             Program #431

Important note to stations that air on Fridays: 
We have three holiday-themed shows scheduled to air in December — two about Christmas traditions, and one which includes European traditions for New Year's Eve. If you air the show one day ahead of the Saturday release date, you will end up airing a New Year's show on Christmas Day. This requires adding in an extra show for you this week (for 12/11/15), and using the following schedule before you can get back to airing the show a day prior to the release date. This way your listeners won't have to miss any of our new interviews, by getting back to schedule on a repeat date in mid-January.

Please follow this schedule for Friday broadcasts of Travel with Rick Steves through January 15, and then you can resume the one-day early broadcast on January 22:

Dec. 11           Program #348a
Dec. 18           Program #427
Dec. 25           Program  #270c
Jan. 1, 2016   Program #428
Jan. 8               Program #429
Jan. 15            Program #430
Jan. 22            Program #431

If you plan to fundraise this week around the Travel with Rick Steves holiday themed segments, you can contact producer Tim Tattan for suggestions on how to best shorten the segments to allow for more pitching time within the hour.  

• Tom Hooper, tour guide from London
• Gillian Chadwick, tour guide from London
• Cecilia Bottai, vintner and tour guide from Orvieto, Italy
• Patrick Vidal, tour guide from Brittany, France
• Virginie Moré, tour guide from Lyon, France
• Pål Bjarne Johansen, tour guide from Oslo, Norway
• Anastasia Gaitanou, tour guide from Thessaloniki, Greece
• Danae Kousouri, tour guide from Athens
• Agustín Ciriza, tour guide from San Sebastian, Spain

• A Buche Noël yule log is a traditional dessert served at Christmastime in France. 
• An online guide to Christmas markets in France.  
• Saint Vasilios, also known as Basil the Great, was a contemporary of Saint Nicholas, and brings gifts to the children in Greece on January 1.    
• The Olentzero is a Christmastime character that brings toys to the children of the Basque Country in Spain.

• Nina Postolovskaya, "The Twelve Days of Christmas," Christmas Celebration:  50 Classical and Traditional Holiday Favorites (collection) / BFM Digital
• The Sixteen, "Deck the Halls," Rick Steves’ European Christmas (collection) / Back Door Productions
• Benedetto Ghiglia, "Auguri di natale," La Bugiarda / CAM OST
• Les Violins du Roy, Bernard Labadie, cond., " Concerto grosso in G minor, op. 6 no. 8-Allegro Pastorale ad libitum - 'Christmas Concerto' (Corelli)," Simphonies des noels / Dorian Recordings
• Orchestre Giampiero Boneschi, "Astro del ciel," Buon natale / Sinetone AMR
• * Vince Guaraldi, "Skating," A Charlie Brown Christmas / Concord
• Les Violins du Roy, Bernard Labadie, cond., “Noels pour les instruments (Charpentier),” Simphonies des noels / Dorian Recordings
• Les Voix Humaines, "Ding Dong Merrily on High," Sunday Baroque-Musical Gifts 2 (collection) / Naxos
• Yves Castagnet, organ, "Tambourin (Michel Corette)," Musique Sacrée à Notre-Dame de Paris / RCA Victor-BMG France
• Eric Tingstad, "Bring a Torch," Tingstad and Rumbel-The Gift / Sonia Gaia Records
• Angelo Petisi, "Santa Lucia," Sunny Mandolins Italia  / Caravage
• George Winston, "Some Children See Him," December / Windham Hill
• Yogi Yorgesson, "I Yust Go Nuts at Christmas," I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas  (collection) / CRS Records
• * Paul Winter Consort, "Joy (var. on J. S. Bach)," Wintersong / Living Music
• Philadelphia Orchestra, "'March of the Toys' from 'Babes in Toyland,'" Greatest Hits: Marches / Sony Classical
• Manolakou Marina, “Kalin Espera Arxontes,” Traditional Greek Songs for Christmas and New Year (collection)  / Musicmirror
• Kerstin Allvin and Jeffery Zook, "Short Fantasy on a Basque Carol," Comfort and Joy / High Heel Records
• Unspecified Basque ensemble and children's choir, "Ariñ, Ariñ," and "Olentzero," Clave de folk-Navarra-La Rioja / Discoloco
• The New Mayfair Orchestra, "Savoy Christmas Medley," 1920s Christmas: Rhythm and Booze (collection) / Holiday Classic Records

• This week's program centers on Christmas-season anticipation and traditions observed  in London, Umbria, France, Norway, Greece, and Spain's Basque Country.  It is intended to air prior to Christmas Eve.  It includes references to events that occur from December 6 (St. Nicholas Day) and December 13 (Santa Lucia Day) to January 6 (Epiphany). 
• Rick opens segment C at 40:00 by announcing some of the Christmas destinations that will be covered on next week's edition of Travel with Rick Steves.