In 1945, when songwriter Bob Wells first penned the line "chestnuts roasting on an open fire..." chestnuts were as much a part of the Christmas season as eggnog and gingerbread. And then, just a few years after Nat King Cole recorded his iconic version of that song...they weren't. What happened? It's one of the few examples from recent history of a Christmas tradition dying out — literally — in a single generation. Is it lost forever? Or are we poised for a roasty toasty Christmas comeback story?

Thank you to Sarah Fitzsimmons, director of restoration with the American Chestnut Foundation, for appearing in this episode.

Music in this episode

• "Home for the Holidays" — Chris Haugen, via Youtube Audio Library
• "Feelings of Twilight" — Shady Dave, via Freesound
• "Angles We Have Heard" — Kevin MacLeod, via Incompetech
• "Fresh Fallen Snow" — Chris Haugen, via Free Music Archive
• "The Christmas Song" — Don Maue, shared directly by the artist

Share a Christmas memory on the podcast! Just record a voice memo into your phone and send it to christmaspastpodcast@gmail.com. Keep it reasonably short, clean and family friendly, and be sure to say your name and where you're from.

Keep in touch

• christmaspastpodcast@gmail.com
• Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ChristmasPastPodcast
• Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/173778110150282
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/XmasPastPodcast
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christmaspastofficial/