Christmas Eve in Old Time Radio

We have it on good authority that there are essentially two sorts of people in the world: There are folks who wait until Christmas morning to open their presents and others who tear open their packages on Christmas Eve.

All kidding aside, there is much more to Christmas and Christmas Eve than presents. To many, celebrating the birth of the Savior is important as the Holiest time of the year. Christmas Eve has gained importance beyond Christian cultures.

Modern supposition holds that the early Christian Church adopted the Pagan winter celebration of Saturnalia to celebrate the Birth of Jesus. There is still a wide variety of traditions amongst Christians. The night before Christmas Day is celebrated in anticipation of Christmas Day with Christmas Vigil Masses and the Midnight Mass.

Some cultures believe that Mary gave birth at night and that the shepherds and the Magi made their visits the following morning, so Christmas Eve has even more significance than Christmas Morning. In this case, the Christmas Feast is enjoyed after the Vigil Mass, usually near midnight on Christmas Eve.

Fibber McGee and Molly, December 24, 1940. Neighbor Gildersleeve asks Fibber to be on the lookout for a package delivery he is expecting. Unsurprisingly, Fibber cannot contain his curiosity and has to peek. He discovers a fancy new phonograph with an automatic record changer. Ever the Master of Technology, Fibber loads the gadget up and has to face a machine that is both homicidal and self-destructive. In a rush to replace Gildy's present, the McGee's are forced out to the Bon Ton on Christmas Eve, the most relaxing day of the year to be in a Department Store.

The Columbia Workshop, December 21, 1941, "Miracle in Manhattan". Ed Gardner plays a New York cab driver picks up an interesting fare on Christmas Eve who shows him the real meaning of the Holiday. The same story will become a Christmas tradition on Duffy's Tavern. A highlight of the program is a chorus of car horns playing "Silent Night".

Christmas Eve at the Front, December 24, 1943. On America's third Christmas of the War, Lionel Barrymore takes a break from playing Scrooge and introduces host Bob Hope ("I hear it is so cold in the Midwest that even the Republicans are waiting for the Fireside Chat"). Although originating in Hollywood, the program visits G.I.s in every theater of the War. President Roosevelt addresses the Nation as part of the Broadcast.

The Life of Riley, December 24, 1944. Riley's boss had to suddenly take his wife to the hospital, so Riley volunteers to take the boss's son, spoiled Roswell Stevenson, in for Christmas Eve. Despite the efforts the family has gone through to make the overpriced stinker feel welcome, Roswell claims to have outgrown Christmas. Riley resorts to taking a lesson from Charles Dickens to help the lad discover the real meaning of Christmas.

The Phil Harris – Alice Faye Show, December 21, 1947. The Harris girls convince their parents to let them stay up and see Santa when he comes. They make Phil promise that he won't try to trick them by dressing up as the Jolly Old Elf, so he has to find someone else to play the part. Phil's old pal, Don Wilson, would be perfect but he can't make it, but Jack Benny can, especially for ten bucks! Jack can't fool the girls, but it still turns into a magical evening.

The Great Gildersleeve, December 22, 1948, "Family Christmas". While shopping a few weeks before tonight's broadcast the Great Man found an abandoned baby in the back of his car. The child works her way into the hearts of the whole family, and Gildy plans an intimate family celebration for Baby's first Christmas Eve. Naturally, the whole gang winds up at the Water Commissioner's house, but the surprise guest is the Baby's missing dad.

The Whistler, December 25, 1949, "Letter from Cynthia". A young medical intern at a small-town hospital draws Christmas Eve duty. At the beginning of his shift, he finds a letter waiting for him from the girl he loved and lost. This reminds him of the man who caused him to lose her, but before he can read the letter, he gets a call to prepare some life-saving medicines for a car accident victim, only to discover that the victim is the nemesis who cost him the girl.

Our Miss Brooks, December 25, 1955, "The Magic Christmas Tree". Connie's family is too far away to visit so she resolved spent Christmas Eve alone with Minerva the Cat. Before they can begin their lonely little party an 'urchin' stops by to sell her a 'magic Christmas Tree'. It sounds like a scam, but the yule-tide bush begins to glow, and all of her friends surprise her with a visit, turning it into a truly magical evening, except for the fact that Mr. Boynton is allergic to mistletoe.

See also: Christmas Day in Old Time Radio.