"Trace the history of Christmas traditions from ancient pagan rites and the miracles of St. Nicholas to the emergence of department store Santas."14 August 1999Factual46 mins
A look into the origins of Christmas from its pagan beginnings, through its Christianisation, to the current incarnation as we know it today. The program discovers why holly, mistletoe, feasting and gift-giving have become synonymous with Christmas celebrations and examines various cultures' celebrations of the Christmas season.
Did you know that the quaint custom of Christmas caroling actually began with drunk and rowdy revelers threatening people door to door looking for food and liquor? Early versions of the heartwarming legend of Santa Claus described him as a horrible devil named Krampus who beat and kidnapped naughty children.
Lucy Worsley reveals the surprising stories behind our favourite Christmas carols. From pagan rituals to religious conflicts, French dances and the First World War, carols reflect our history.
Dolly Parton returns home to Sevierville and to Dollywood where she joins her family and friends to share songs and memories of the holidays in this 1990 TV special to accompany her Christmas CD Home for the Holidays.
In JINGLE BELL ROCKS!, director Mitchell Kezin delves into the minds of some of the world’s most legendary Christmas music fanatics and hits the road to hang with his holiday heroes – including hip hop legend Joseph “Rev Run” Simmons of RUN-D.
The program on this DVD is basically a retrospective produced in the early 1990s for public television that was originally called «A Bing Crosby Christmas: Just Like the Ones You Used to Know» that was narrated by Gene Kelly and hosted by Bing's widow, Kathryn Crosby.
This documentary visits the towns and villages of the Alsace region of France at Christmastime. See the charmingly decorated storybook towns and learn of the unique holiday traditions and celebrations.
A Night at the Movies: Merry Christmas! is a tinsel-filled journey through the most iconic holiday films of all time, including perennial favorites It's A Wonderful Life (1946) and Miracle on 34th Street (1947).
Every night in December people in a small suburb of Philadelphia flock to a holiday light show. They drive at a snails pace through the 2 mile stretch of beautiful light displays, listening to holiday music, soaking up the Christmas spirt.
This one-hour special includes some archival interviews with the film's biggest stars like Peter Billingsley, but there are new, original interviews with some of the supporting actors and updates on their lives and careers.
From bespoke baubles to extravagant gifts and £615000 diamond-encrusted tree toppers, this programme meets the people supplying and buying a top-end Christmas.
More than half of all Lego sales come in the last three months of the year. This documentary goes behind the scenes at the secretive superbrand as it prepares for Christmas.
Popular movie trailers from 1999
These some of the most viewed trailers for movies released in 1999:
London bookstore owner William Thacker's quiet life turns upside down when a chance encounter with famous actress Anna Scott sparks an unlikely romance challenged by their vastly different worlds.
Skeptical young detective Ichabod Crane gets transferred to the hamlet of Sleepy Hollow, New York, where he is tasked with investigating the decapitations of three people – murders the townsfolk attribute to a legendary specter, The Headless Horseman.
Why do women fight? This riveting behind-the-scenes look into the world of the female combatant takes us from manicures to knockouts! It turns our attention to the woman who is widely considered pound for pound the most dangerous fighter of any time, undefeated boxing sensation Lucia Rijker (Rollerball, TV's "Thunderbox").
A California congressman's wife and daughter are abducted and held hostage in a historic hotel. Logan McQueen is rushed to the scene to assist his former partner, Charlie Duffy, who has been taken captive trying to broker the ransom deal.
