The Fascinating Stories Behind the Most Popular Christmas & Holiday Songs

The Fascinating Stories Behind the Most Popular Christmas & Holiday Songs

AIL Presents | Registration opens 11/18/2026 7:00 AM EST

541 Main Street New London, NH 03257 United States
AIL Classroom, Lethbridge Lodge
12/8/2026 (one day)
1:00 PM-3:00 PM EST on Tue
$15.00
Member Discount Available

The Fascinating Stories Behind the Most Popular Christmas & Holiday Songs

AIL Presents | Registration opens 11/18/2026 7:00 AM EST

There are fascinating stories behind the popular Christmas and holiday songs you’ve heard all your life. Join us to learn the real stories behind several popular songs, including two that were written in a heat wave, the first Christmas song recorded by an African American artist, the conspiracy controversy surrounding "Baby, It’s Cold Outside," the two gold-record Christmas songs sung by a 10- and 14-year old, the Jewish composer who wrote the most played Christmas song of all time, the Christmas song written for retailer Montgomery Ward, and why a Brighton, NY, school district banned "Jingle Bells." We'll enjoy two hours of history including video performances by Bing Crosby, Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, Maria Carey, Andy Williams, Nat King Cole, Brenda Lee, Darlene Love, and many more.

Peterman, John
John Peterman

After serving for 23 years as head of an elementary school in Massachusetts, John Peterman turned his attention to creating lifelong learning courses focused on history and the entertainment industry. Throughout his life, John has been a public speaker and a mid-20th-century music and film enthusiast. Over the past few years, he has offered courses at AIL, Center for the Arts, Osher at Dartmouth, New London Barn Playhouse and OLLI at UNH.