Get into the spirit with KCLU's 2025 holiday programming
Happy Holidays from all of us at KCLU!
Join us for a season of special programming. Hear old favorites like Tinsel Tales, A Dickens Christmas, and Hanukkah Lights, as well as newer shows, such as A Tiny Desk Holiday Special and Festivo Alt Latino.
Here's a handy guide to our full programming lineup. Select the buttons to jump to a particular day.
Sunday, December 14: Hanukkah
5 p.m.
Second Helpings Society
With more than 180,000 copies sold, Second Helpings, Please is an iconic Jewish cookbook and a success story most people have never heard of. First published in Montreal in 1968, this 700+ recipe book became a bible for a whole generation. Join host Jennifer Warren and learn why, to this day, the Second Helpings Society is still a way of life.
6 p.m.
Hanukkah Lights
This NPR favorite returns with new stories plus gems from the archive. Hosted by Murray Horwitz with a special tribute to our beloved Susan Stamberg.
Sunday, December 21: Winter Solstice
5 p.m.
Winter Solstice from CBC Radio’s “Ideas”
It's the shortest day—and the longest night. And the darkness associated with it has had a lot of bad press throughout the ages. But the winter solstice may be exactly what we need during the holidays, with the crush of Christmas and the revelry of New Year's. Paolo Pietropaolo, host of CBC Music’s In Concert, talks with Ideas host Nahlah Ayed about his "alternative soundtrack" to the season - music that provides an antidote to the constant barrage of loud commercials, shopping frenzies, and time-squeezes that can build up at this time of year.
6 p.m.
A Paul Winter Solstice
This year, Solstice Live! warms up the longest night of the year with a taste of the tropics. This one-hour Winter Solstice special brings a starry array of Brazilian guests, including Ivan Lins, Renato Braz, and Luciana Souza, with the Paul Winter Consort at the annual solstice concerts in New York’s Cathedral of St John the Divine. John Schaefer hosts.
Monday, December 22
9 p.m.
Selected Shorts: What You Wish For
Host Meg Wolitzer presents three Christmas stories in different moods—satirical, fantastical, and nostalgic. Hear A Visit from Saint Nicholas (In the Ernest Hemingway Manner), by James Thurber, performed by James Naughton; O’Brien’s First Christmas, by Jeanette Winterson, performed by Jayne Atkinson; and One Christmas, by Truman Capote, performed by John Shea.
Tuesday, December 23
9 p.m.
Tinsel Tales: NPR Christmas Favorites
This program features stories from the NPR archives that touch on the meaning of Christmas. David Sedaris, Bailey White, and John Henry Faulk—these and other NPR voices, past and present, tell stories of the season. Hosted by Lynn Neary.
Wednesday, December 24: Christmas Eve
6 p.m.
A Special Thistle & Shamrock Christmas
Join Fiona Ritchie for a winter walk along the banks of the River Tay in Scotland, accompanied by music from the Celtic Christmas repertoire. Among restored riverside woodlands, Fiona finds her favorite bench and sits there to reflect upon the scenes of midwinter. The location inspires seasonal tales, joyful songs, and tunes of rare beauty, with guitarist Tim Edey, singer Emily Smith, and more.
7 p.m.
The Big Tiny Desk Holiday Special
Celebrate the season with amazing holiday performances from The Tiny Desk Concert series, including Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Steve Martin, Hanson, The Polyphonic Spree, and more! Hosted by NPR Music frenemies Bob Boilen and Stephen Thompson.
8 p.m.
The "All Songs Considered" Holiday Extravaganza
Hosts Robin Hilton and Stephen Thompson set off on another adventure in their annual attempt to throw a holiday party for the ages. This year, we’ve got a very tolerable mix of songs for the season and, as always, some very special guests.
9 p.m.
The Shepherd, from CBC Radio’s “As It Happens”
The year is 1957. A Royal Air Force pilot is heading home from Germany for Christmas. Fog sets in, and all radio communication is lost. Continuing the tradition since 1979, As It Happens presents a Christmas Eve reading of Frederick Forsyth's The Shepherd by the late host, "Fireside" Al Maitland.
10 p.m.
A Dickens Christmas featuring John Rhys-Davies
A Dickens Christmas features John Rhys-Davies and the Tabernacle Choir.
10:30 p.m.
Joy, Christmas w/The Tabernacle Choir, Michael Maliakel, & Lesley Nichol
Broadway star Michael Maliakel joins The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square for a heartwarming music and spoken word Christmas special. Experience the magic of the season with cherished carols, timeless hymns, and holiday classics—including Joy to the World, Angels from the Realms of Glory, and I Wonder as I Wander. Plus, acclaimed actor Lesley Nicol brings the Nativity to life with a moving reading of the Luke 2 story.
11 p.m.
Celebrate Christmas with Audra McDonald
Christmas is a time to celebrate with people we love and to remember those who gave us life and love. It is a time of reflection and gratitude. But mostly, it is a time to raise our voices in songs of praise. Don’t miss Celebrate Christmas with the world-renowned Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square and guest star Audra McDonald.
11:30 p.m.
This Holy Night featuring Megan Hilty & Neal McDonough
The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square present a music and spoken word special, This Holy Night, featuring Megan Hilty & Neal McDonough.
Thursday, December 25: Christmas Day
9 a.m.
Christmas with the Morehouse and Spelman Glee Clubs
One of the great holiday traditions in America, the choirs of Morehouse and Spelman Colleges get together to present a spine-tingling concert program. It's a joyous celebration of the school's tradition of singing excellence, with its trademark mixture of spirituals and carols. Korva Coleman hosts.
10 a.m.
Celebrate Christmas with Audra McDonald
Christmas is a time to celebrate with people we love and to remember those who gave us life and love. It is a time of reflection and gratitude. But mostly, it is a time to raise our voices in songs of praise. Don’t miss Celebrate Christmas with the world-renowned Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square and guest star Audra McDonald.
10:30 a.m.
Celebrate Christmas Day in the Morning, featuring Richard Thomas
The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square present a Music & the Spoken Word special, featuring Richard Thomas. Music and readings include: Christmas Day in the Morning, The Christmas Story, Angels from the Realms of Glory, and more.
11 a.m.
A Special Thistle & Shamrock Christmas
Join Fiona Ritchie for a winter walk along the banks of the River Tay in Scotland, accompanied by music from the Celtic Christmas repertoire. Among restored riverside woodlands, Fiona finds her favorite bench and sits there to reflect upon the scenes of midwinter. The location inspires seasonal tales, joyful songs, and tunes of rare beauty, with guitarist Tim Edey, singer Emily Smith, and more.
12 p.m.
Joy, Christmas with The Tabernacle Choir, Michael Maliakel, & Lesley Nichol
Broadway star Michael Maliakel joins The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square for a heartwarming Christmas special. Experience the magic of the season with cherished carols, timeless hymns, and holiday classics—including Joy to the World, Angels from the Realms of Glory, and I Wonder as I Wander. Plus, acclaimed actor Lesley Nicol brings the Nativity to life with a moving reading of the Luke 2 story.
12:30 p.m.
A Christmas Tradition
The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square perform Joy to the World, O, Come All Ye Faithful, Angels From the Realms of Glory, I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day, and more.
1 p.m.
Christmas Tinsel Tales
Joy, hope, and childhood memories overflow as NPR voices past and present tell stories of the season and revisit interviews with musicians about their Christmas albums. Hosted by Lynn Neary.
3 p.m.
The "All Songs Considered" Holiday Extravaganza
Hosts Robin Hilton and Stephen Thompson set off on another adventure in their annual attempt to throw a holiday party for the ages with a great mix of songs for the season and some very special guests.
4 p.m.
The Big Tiny Desk Holiday Special
Celebrate the season with amazing holiday performances from The Tiny Desk Concert series, including Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Steve Martin, Hanson, The Polyphonic Spree, and more! Hosted by NPR Music frenemies Bob Boilen and Stephen Thompson.
5 p.m.
Selected Shorts: What You Wish For
Meg Wolitzer presents three Christmas stories in different moods—satirical, fantastical, & nostalgic: A Visit from Saint Nicholas (In the Ernest Hemingway Manner), by James Thurber, performed by James Naughton; O’Brien’s First Christmas, by Jeanette Winterson, performed by Jayne Atkinson; and One Christmas, by Truman Capote, performed by John Shea.
6 p.m.
Christmas with the Morehouse and Spelman Glee Clubs
One of the great holiday traditions in America, the choirs of Morehouse and Spelman Colleges get together to present a spine-tingling concert program. It's a joyous celebration of the school's tradition of singing excellence, with its trademark mixture of spirituals and carols.
7 p.m.
Joy To The World – A Holiday in Pink
The internationally acclaimed “little orchestra" Pink Martini bedecks the airwaves with festive holiday songs from across the globe. From timeless classics to rarely heard gems, hear a multi-denominational, multicultural jubilee, overflowing with enough holiday spirit to warm your entire family. Hosted by former All Things Considered host Ari Shapiro.
8 p.m.
A Special Thistle & Shamrock Christmas
Join Fiona Ritchie for a winter walk along the banks of the River Tay in Scotland, accompanied by music from the Celtic Christmas repertoire. Hear seasonal tales, joyful songs, and tunes of rare beauty, with guitarist Tim Edey, singer Emily Smith, and more.
9 p.m.
Festivo Alt Latino with Gaby Moreno & Friends
NPR Music’s Alt Latino presents an encore featuring songwriter/performer Gaby Moreno and her band performing tracks from her popular holiday album Posada—recorded live at the KUT studios in Austin, Texas. She was joined by special guests Gina Chavez and Chicano Zen bandleader and record producer Michael Ramos. Hosted by Felix Contreras.