WNYC Holiday Specials 2017

Join WNYC for holiday programs featuring a range of specials celebrating the Winter Solstice, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and the general spirit of the season. 

Hanukkah Lights 2017

• Sunday, December 17 at 11am on AM / NJPR

A perennial NPR favorite with all new Hanukkah stories, hosted by Susan Stamberg and Murray Horwitz. There are menorahs, miracles and mitzvahs on Hanukkah Lights, the holiday tradition that celebrates the stories of the season. 

Listen here.

Itzhak Perlman’s Chanukah Radio Party

• Sunday, December 17 at 10pm on FM / NJPR

Itzhak Perlman invites you to his Chanukah Radio Party. Join the superstar violinist as he tells the story of the Jewish festival of lights, and shares his favorite recordings for the holiday – some serious, some silly. This special includes numbers from Itzhak Perlman’s radio-addicted childhood in Israel, evocative songs in Yiddish and Ladino, classical music that revolves around the Maccabee heroes of the story, and Chanukah gems by American folk singers. The master storyteller also regales you with jokes and memories, plus tales of three classic Chanukah symbols: the menorah, the latke, and, of course, the dreidel.

Listen here.

Paul Winter’s Annual Winter Solstice Celebration

• Thursday, December 21 from 10pm – 12am on FM (2 hours)

Celebrate the Return of the Sun - and the warming of the heart with Paul Winter’s annual Winter Solstice Celebration. On the darkest night of the year, we head to New York’s Cathedral of St. John the Divine to hear The Paul Winter Consort and the glorious Cathedral Pipe Organ. The performance brings traditional holiday favorites and new sounds from around the world with special guests Fabiana Cozza, Gary Booker, Theresa Thomason, Paul McCandless, Eugene Freisen, the percussion troupe Forces of Nature. Hosted by WNYC’s John Schaefer.

Listen here.

Tinsel Tales 1: NPR Christmas Favorites

• Sunday, December 24 at 11am on AM820 / NJPR

This program features 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. Hosted by Lynn Neary.

Listen here.

A Swinging Holiday Jazz Party with Wynton Marsalis

• Monday, December 25 at 10am on 93.9FM / AM820 / NJPR

Wynton Marsalis hosts an hour of holiday jazz favorites by Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Gregory Porter, René Marie, and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.

 Listen here.

An Afro Blue Christmas

• Monday, December 25 at 11am on 93.9FM / AM820 / NJPR

A holiday concert with Howard University's premiere vocal ensemble Afro Blue and special guest pianist Cyrus Chestnut.  Hear the a-cappela group perform a variety of holiday songs including African-American spirituals, jazz and pop tunes, and classical repertoire.  The joyous celebration includes one of a kind arrangements on traditional holiday songs plus new compositions…music perfect for the holidays and the spirit of Christmas. Hosted by Michele Norris.

Listen here.

Festivo Alt Latino with Gaby Moreno & Friends

• Monday, December 25 at 12pm on 93.9FM / AM820 / NJPR

NPR Music’s Alt.Latino presents songwriter/performer Gaby Moreno and her band performing tracks from her popular holiday album Posada. She was joined by special guests Gina Chavez and Chicano Zen bandleader and record producer Michael Ramos.

Listen here.

Tinsel Tales 4: So Much More NPR Christmas Favorites

• Monday, December 25 at 1pm on 93.9FM / AM820 / NJPR

In keeping with a well-loved NPR holiday tradition, hear the fourth collection of extraordinary Christmas stories that will transport you to unexpected places. NPR's past and present tell stories of the season in this hour-long special. Some tales are funny; some are touching; some are insightful or irreverent or nostalgic or surprising. You might recognize them from our broadcast archives — or you might fall in love with them for the first time. Hosted by Lynn Neary.

Listen here.

A Season's Griot 2017

·         Wednesday, December 27 at 9pm on 93.9FM

·         Sunday, December 31 at 11am on AM820

This celebration in story and song is public radio's only nationally syndicated Kwanzaa program. Hosted for nearly 20 years by acclaimed storyteller Madafo Lloyd Wilson, this annual special captures the tales and traditions of African American and African peoples.

Listen here.

The Science of Gratitude

·         Friday, December 29 at 12pm on 93.9FM / AM820 / NJPR

What are you grateful for? It's a more important question than you might think. "The Science of Gratitude" is a program that explores how feeling grateful may be the true key to healthy and happiness. This program is narrated by Academy award-winning actress Susan Sarandon.

Listen here.

Studio 360: Can Laughter Make Us Healthier

·         Friday, December 29 at 1pm on 93.9FM / AM820 / NJPR

Is the old cliché true — is laughter the best medicine? Kurt Andersen and Mary Harris, WNYC Health reporter, go to a laughter yoga class to find out. Also, we hear from a neuroscientist who studies laughter and moonlights as a standup comedian. Comic Chris Gethard explains why he resisted getting help for his depression out of fear of losing his humorous edge—and how getting treatment transformed his career. And we find out when medical humor is – and is not – just what the doctor ordered.

Listen here.

New Sounds

• Sunday, December 31 at 11pm on 93.9 FM

John Schaefer will have a special end of year presentation for New Year’s Eve.

Third Coast Festival: Best of the Best 2017

• Monday, January 1 from 12-2pm on 93.9FM / AM820 / NJPR

Third Coast Festival is back with their annual Best of the Best broadcast featuring the winners of their 2017 documentary competition. In this two-part special, host Gwen Macsai presents the top radio and podcast stories of the year. Best of the Best also features interviews with winning producers who give us a glimpse into the art of audio storytelling.

Listen here.