KCLU Holiday Programming 2023

KCLU has a great lineup of programming to get you into the holiday spirit, including Hanukkah and Christmas specials.

Hanukkah Lights

Saturday, 12/9 (Third Night of Hanukkah) – 5:00pm-6:00pm

A perennial NPR favorite returns with the best of the best Hanukkah Lights stories plus a special musical performance by The LeeVees. Hosted by Susan Stamberg and Murray Horwitz.

Candles Burning Brightly

Sunday, 12/10 (Fourth Night of Hanukkah) – 5:00pm-6:00pm

A delightful hour for everyone to celebrate the Jewish Festival of Lights! Lots of music from Jewish communities around the world, plus a hilarious lesson on how to prepare a classic Chanukah dish, and a timeless and touching holiday story that brings light into every home.

Tinsel Tales

Christmas Week, Tuesday 12/19 through Friday, 12/22 – 7:00pm-8:00pm each evening

12/19 Stories from the NPR archives that touch on the meaning of Christmas. David Sedaris, Bailey White, John Henry Faulk–these and other NPR voices, past and present, tell stories of the season.

12/20 NPR fills millions of homes each holiday with humor, warmth, and a host of festive voices. Continuing with the tradition of the first Tinsel Tales program, this is another collection of the best and most requested holiday stories. Joy, hope, and childhood memories overflow as NPR voices, past and present, tell stories of the season.

12/21 In keeping with a well-loved NPR holiday tradition, hear the third collection of extraordinary Christmas stories that will transport you to unexpected places. Some tales are funny; some are touching; some are insightful or irreverent or nostalgic or surprising.

12/22 NPR revisits interviews with musicians about their Christmas albums. Some, like Katie Melua and Sting, celebrate tradition and winter mystery in their Christmas songs. Others, like Kenny Rogers and Amy Grant, find spirituality and stability in holiday music. Jon Batiste and Anthony Hamilton bring new energy to old favorites on their Christmas albums. Hosted by Lynn Neary.

Selected Shorts: Unwrapping the Holidays

Christmas Eve, Sunday 12/24 (5:00pm-6:00pm)

Host Meg Wolitzer presents three unexpected stories that let us see the holidays’ associations—family, friends, food, gifts, and goodwill—in different ways: Amy Krouse Rosenthal presents a playful encounter with the Almighty in “Interview with God,” performed by Jayne Atkinson and James Naughton. In Sherrie Flick’s “Heidi is Dead,” read by Adina Verson, a second wife tries to tune in with her in-laws; and John Cheever’s “Christmas is a Sad Season for the Poor” is a richly comic and warmhearted look at giving and receiving. Teagle F. Bougere reads.

Joy To The World – A Holiday in Pink

Christmas Eve, Sunday 12/24 (6:00pm-7:00pm)

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, multi-cultural jubilee, overflowing with enough holiday spirit to warm your entire family. Hosted by All Things Considered’s Ari Shapiro.

A World Cafe Holiday

Christmas Eve, Sunday 12/24 (9:00pm-10:00pm)

World Cafe celebrated 30 years by revisiting special holiday performances from Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, Los Lobos, Andrew Bird, The Bird and The Bee, Pink Martini, Preservation Hall Jazz Band and more. Hosted by Raina Douris, this musical gift will provide a full hour of hip holiday cheer.

Christmas with the Morehouse and Spelman Glee Clubs

Christmas Day, Monday 12/25 (9:00am-10:00am, 6:00pm-7:00pm)

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 schools' tradition of singing excellence, with their trademark mixture of spirituals and carols. Korva Coleman hosts.

Joy To The World – A Holiday in Pink

Christmas Day, Monday 12/25 (10:00am-11:00am, 7:00pm-8:00pm)

Christmas Tinsel Tales

Christmas Day, Monday 12/25 (11:00am-2:00pm, 8:00pm-10:00pm)

NPR fills millions of homes each holiday with humor, warmth, and a host of festive voices. Continuing with the tradition of the first Tinsel Tales program, this is another collection of the best and most requested holiday stories. Joy, hope, and childhood memories overflow as NPR voices, past and present, tell stories of the season and revisits interviews with musicians about their Christmas albums. Hosted by Lynn Neary.

A World Cafe Holiday

Christmas Day, Monday 12/25 (2:00pm-3:00pm, 10:00pm-11:00pm)

World Cafe celebrated 30 years by revisiting special holiday performances from Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, Los Lobos, Andrew Bird, The Bird and The Bee, Pink Martini, and Preservation Hall Jazz Band.