On this episode of Our American Stories, it is called the first “American” Christmas because the Declaration of Independence was created the previous summer, essentially “divorcing” America from England and declaring our country an independent nation. Here’s Brian Benjamin sharing the story from his book, Christmas, 1776.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, it is called the first “American” Christmas because the Declaration of Independence was created the previous summer, essentially “divorcing” America from England and declaring our country an independent nation. Here’s Brian Benjamin sharing the story from his book, Christmas, 1776.
<a href="https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate">Support the show</a> (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)

Our American Stories tells stories that aren’t being told. Positive stories about generosity and courage, resilience and redemption, faith and love. Stories about the past and present. And stories about ordinary Americans who do extraordinary things each and every day. Stories from our listeners about their lives. And their history. In that pursuit, we hope we’ll be a place where listeners can refresh their spirit, and be inspired by our stories.

Our American Stories

Our American Stories tells stories that aren’t being told. Positive stories about generosity and courage, resilience and redemption, faith and love. Stories about the past and present. And stories about ordinary Americans who do extraordinary things each and every day. Stories from our listeners about their lives. And their history. In that pursuit, we hope we’ll be a place where listeners can refresh their spirit and be inspired by our stories.

Our American Stories tells stories that aren&rsquo;t being told. Positive stories about generosity and courage, resilience and redemption, faith and love. Stories about the past and present. And stories about ordinary Americans who do extraordinary things each and every day. Stories from our listeners about their lives. And their history. In that pursuit, we hope we&rsquo;ll be a place where listeners can refresh their spirit and be inspired by our stories.

Christmas, 1776

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/d252f78a-e7d7-4737-bf67-b0d8018417e5/transcript

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On this episode of Our American Stories, every October, porches glow with carved pumpkins and streets fill with costumed children, but the roots of Halloween reach much deeper than candy and costumes. The holiday began as All Hallows’ Eve, a night of remembrance that blended Christian and Celtic traditions. When Irish and Scottish immigrants arrived in the United States, they carried those customs with them, reshaping the celebration into something distinctly American.

Historians Lesley Bannatyne and Lisa Morton explain how an ancient ritual became a modern holiday; and why Halloween in America continues to reflect both superstition and joy. Lesley Bannatyne is the author of Halloween: An American Holiday, an American History, and Lisa Morton is the author of Trick or Treat: A History of Halloween.

Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)

On this episode of Our American Stories, every October, porches glow with carved pumpkins and streets fill with costumed children, but the roots of Halloween reach much deeper than candy and costumes. The holiday began as All Hallows&rsquo; Eve, a night of remembrance that blended Christian and Celtic traditions. When Irish and Scottish immigrants arrived in the United States, they carried those customs with them, reshaping the celebration into something distinctly American. Historians Lesley Bannatyne and Lisa Morton explain how an ancient ritual became a modern holiday; and why Halloween in America continues to reflect both superstition and joy. Lesley Bannatyne is the author of <a href="https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2F1565543467%3Flv%3Dshuf%26channelId%3D500%26plpRedirect%3DmhFallback&amp;data=05%7C02%7CUraelBlackshear%40iheartmedia.com%7C4758030bb74d40753de708df350aced9%7C122a527e5b714eba878d9810b495b9e3%7C0%7C0%7C639287992700577894%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=irOm8g9ra3eWwddPib3OfmMVxyXMrEHz6E0cAYJYLR0%3D&amp;reserved=0" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="3">Halloween: An American Holiday, an American History</a>, and Lisa Morton is the author of <a href="https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2F1789141583%3Flv%3Dshuf%26channelId%3D500%26plpRedirect%3DmhFallback&amp;data=05%7C02%7CUraelBlackshear%40iheartmedia.com%7C4758030bb74d40753de708df350aced9%7C122a527e5b714eba878d9810b495b9e3%7C0%7C0%7C639287992700602159%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=TRgdmiTHz17a6JmFgUNfiVDayfye3YIk%2BF5ti2tnWBA%3D&amp;reserved=0" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="4">Trick or Treat: A History of Halloween</a>.
Support the show (<a href="https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate">https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate</a><a href="https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)">)</a>

Halloween: The Strange and Storied History of an American Holiday

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/07431b91-759a-440a-98a7-b4f2013f679a/transcript

On this episode of Our American Stories, for more than a century, horror movies have found new and terrifying ways to keep us on the edge of our seats. It began with the eerie shadows of German Expressionism and the unforgettable monsters of Universal’s Dracula and Frankenstein. Then came Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho, the supernatural terror of The Exorcist, the slasher craze of the 1970s and 1980s, and eventually the low-budget phenomenon of The Blair Witch Project.

Just in time for Halloween, YouTube creator Matt Castro takes us through the history of horror movies.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, for more than a century, horror movies have found new and terrifying ways to keep us on the edge of our seats. It began with the eerie shadows of German Expressionism and the unforgettable monsters of Universal&rsquo;s Dracula and Frankenstein. Then came Alfred Hitchcock&rsquo;s Psycho, the supernatural terror of The Exorcist, the slasher craze of the 1970s and 1980s, and eventually the low-budget phenomenon of The Blair Witch Project. Just in time for Halloween, YouTube creator Matt Castro takes us through the history of horror movies.
Support the show (<a href="https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate">https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate</a><a href="https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)">)</a>

A Century of Horror: From Nosferatu to the Modern Scare

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/5064bba2-a13e-41a6-8cfe-b4f0017e296a/transcript

On this episode of Our American Stories, Louis Prima never seemed to play a song so much as throw a party. It was a style he came by naturally, growing up among the Sicilian families, brass bands, and jazz funerals of New Orleans, with the sound of Louis Armstrong’s trumpet ringing in his ears. By the 1930s, Prima had taken that New Orleans spirit to the nightclubs of New York’s 52nd Street. He blew his horn, cracked jokes, worked the crowd, and wrote a song called “Sing, Sing, Sing” that would become one of the defining hits of the swing era.

But Prima had plenty more music in him. He proudly celebrated his Italian-American roots during World War II, found a whole new audience in Las Vegas alongside Keely Smith and Sam Butera, and eventually became the unforgettable voice of King Louie in The Jungle Book. Our own Greg Hengler shares the life story of a man who spent five decades making America laugh, sing, and dance.

Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)

On this episode of Our American Stories, Louis Prima never seemed to play a song so much as throw a party. It was a style he came by naturally, growing up among the Sicilian families, brass bands, and jazz funerals of New Orleans, with the sound of Louis Armstrong&rsquo;s trumpet ringing in his ears. By the 1930s, Prima had taken that New Orleans spirit to the nightclubs of New York&rsquo;s 52nd Street. He blew his horn, cracked jokes, worked the crowd, and wrote a song called &ldquo;Sing, Sing, Sing&rdquo; that would become one of the defining hits of the swing era. But Prima had plenty more music in him. He proudly celebrated his Italian-American roots during World War II, found a whole new audience in Las Vegas alongside Keely Smith and Sam Butera, and eventually became the unforgettable voice of King Louie in The Jungle Book. Our own Greg Hengler shares the life story of a man who spent five decades making America laugh, sing, and dance.
Support the show (<a href="https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate">https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate</a><a href="https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)">)</a>

Louis Prima: The Italian-American Showman Who Made America Swing

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/dc1d8b21-91e9-437a-ac3d-b4f0017e296c/transcript

Christmas, 1776

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