Celebrate the 2023 holiday season with these special programs on KVPR.
You can also find 24/7 holiday music streaming on our KVPR Classical channel from December 22-25.
Saturday, December 9
Hanukkah Lights - 7 p.m.
Susan Stamberg and Murry Horwitz share favorite stories about the festival of lights, plus a special Tiny Desk performance by The LeeVees.
Candles Burning Brightly - 8 p.m.
Hear music from Jewish communities worldwide, a hilarious lesson on preparing a classic Hanukkah dish, and a timeless and touching holiday story that brings light into every home.
Thursday, December 21
A Paul Winter Solstice - 9 p.m.
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.
In Winter's Glow - 10 p.m.
A winter solstice program, with modern classical sounds for the longest night of the year, chosen especially to compliment the chilly, starry nights of the season.
Saturday, December 23
Travel with Rick Steves: Christmastime in Bavaria, Croatia, Sweden, Rome, Sardinia, Costa Rica, Amsterdam - 8 p.m.
Enjoy Old World holiday traditions from Europe, and meet some of Santa’s cousins, as we hear about Christmas season events that range from the sublime to the quirky. Rick’s friends explain how they observe the holidays in Germany’s Bavaria, on the island of Sardinia, in Croatia, Stockholm, Amsterdam and Rome. And we’ll get a taste of a tropical Christmas in Costa Rica.
Selected Shorts: Unwrapping the Holidays - 9 p.m.
Host Meg Wolitzer presents three unexpected stories that let us see the holidays’ associations—family, friends, food, gifts, and goodwill—in different ways. Selections from Amy Krouse Rosenthal, Sherrie Flick, and John Cheever will be read by Jayne Atkinson, James Naughton, Adina Verson and Teagle F. Bougere.
Your Classical Christmas Favorites - 10 p.m.
This two-hour special is a countdown of the top classical Christmas songs as voted on by listeners.
Sunday, December 24
Tinsel Tales: NPR Christmas Favorites - 6 p.m.
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.
Tinsel Tales 2: More NPR Christmas Favorites - 7 p.m.
More of the best and most requested holiday stories from NPR.
Jazz Piano Christmas 39 - 8 p.m.
The Kennedy Center and NPR present A Jazz Piano Christmas, the annual sell-out event featuring jazz-infused renditions of the season’s most-loved music. Hosted by Felix Contreras.
Sunday Night Jazz: Holiday Edition - 9 p.m.
Join KVPR's David Aus for a holiday edition of Sunday Night Jazz, from 9 p.m. to midnight.
Monday, December 25
Tinsel Tales 3: Even More NPR Christmas Favorites - 9 a.m.
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.
Tinsel Tales 4: NPR Christmas Stories Told Through Song - 10 a.m.
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.
Sunday, December 31
Toast of the Nation - 9 p.m.
An NPR tradition every New Year's Eve since the 1970s, Toast of the Nation is the perfect audio complement for the occasion. It's festive jazz you can party to, all night long.