As the year draws to a close, NHPR is celebrating the season with a rich lineup of festive specials, musical traditions, and storytelling moments that bring warmth, reflection, and joy to listeners across New Hampshire (and beyond).
Settle in—there’s something to enjoy all season long.
From listener-curated holiday music to Hanukkah celebrations, Christmas classics, and a New Year’s Eve full of folk and jazz— our holiday programming is designed to brighten long nights, gather our community, and carry you into 2026 with comfort, curiosity, and plenty of cheer.
Friday, December 12
Holidays By Request 2025 - from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
NHPR is wrapping up 2025 on a high note with the latest edition of Holidays By Request. Join hosts Rick Ganley and Joe Boehnlein for two hours of under-appreciated holiday tunes requested by you! Plus, we'll have live in-studio performances and good cheer from NHPR staff and friends. If you missed the live event on Dec. 12, you can catch it again at 2 p.m. on Christmas Eve.
Check This Out: Best of 2025 - from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
A conversation with judges from the prestigious PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction, offering a behind-the-scenes look at what makes a book stand out—and their favorite books of 2025you might have missed.
Sunday, December 14 - First Day of Hanukkah
Itzhak Perlman’s Chanukah Radio Party - from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
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.
Hanukkah Lights 2025 - from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
NPR presents Hanukkah Lights, an hour-long special celebrating the Jewish festival of lights, in honor of the late Susan Stamberg. Now in its 34th year, this NPR holiday tradition will brighten the season by revisiting four favorites from the archives and presenting a new story that feels both timely and timeless.
Friday, December 19
Live from the Word Barn with Rick Ganley: Rock My Soul Holiday Edition - from 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Get ready for an hour of roots-based, raise-the-rafters R&B, pop, and soul-flavored arrangements of Christmas carols and classics from New England’s own Rock My Soul choir and band. This show was recorded LIVE at the Orchard Chapel in Hampton Falls, New Hampshire, down the road from the Word Barn. It’s our Christmas gift to you! We’ll have an encore airing for this special Live from the Word Barn on Sunday, Dec. 21 at 6:00 p.m.).
Sunday, December 21
A Choral Christmas With Stile Antico - from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Celebrate Christmas with the sound of soaring voices. Stile Antico, the award winning choir from London, pays a visit to St. Paul’s church on Harvard Square for a concert of radiant sacred music for the Christmas season by the most acclaimed composers of the renaissance. Hear the group’s luminous blend of voices sing the intricately woven music of Thomas Tallis and William Byrd. Hosted by Cathy Fuller of WGBH. Presented by NPR Music.
Jazz Piano Christmas - from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Your favorite holiday classics as you’ve never heard them! The Kennedy Center and NPR present A Jazz Piano Christmas, the annual sell-out event featuring jazz-infused renditions of the season’s most-loved music. This year, we spotlight remarkable pianist, vocalist, and actress Melvis Santa—whose eclectic Afro-Cuban style has made her one of the most electrifying artists on the scene—in addition to internationally acclaimed Cuban composer and jazz pianist Alfredo Rodriguez. Hosted by Felix Contreras.
Live from the Word Barn with Rick Ganley - Rock My Soul Holiday Edition (encore) - from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, December 24 - Christmas Eve
A Festival of Lessons and Carols (APM) - from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Listeners are encouraged to join a worldwide Christmas Eve broadcast of a service of Biblical readings, carols, and related seasonal “classical” music (anthems - both a cappella and with organ accompaniment, and congregational hymns). The broadcast, an NHPR listener favorite, is presented by one of the world’s foremost choirs of men and boys, and performed in the acoustically and architecturally renowned King’s College Chapel, in Cambridge, England.
NHPR Presents: Yule Log Old Time Radio Show - from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.
NHPR's Rick Ganley and Sean Hurley team up for an old-timey hour of Christmas stories and memories. Sean will share his favorite “winter essays” and heartwarming family stories. This special - broadcast each year on NHPR for the holiday season - will become one of your family's favorite holiday listening traditions!
The Big Tiny Desk Concert - from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Celebrate the season with amazing holiday performances from The Tiny Desk Concert series including Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Steve Martin, Hanson, The Polyphonic Spree and more! Hosted by NPR Music frenemies Bob Boilen and Stephen Thompson.
Holidays By Request 2025 (encore) - from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
NHPR is wrapping up 2025 on a high note with the latest edition of Holidays By Request. Join hosts Rick Ganley and Joe Boehnlein for two (recorded) live hours of under-appreciated holiday tunes requested by you! Plus, we'll have in-studio performances and good cheer from NHPR staff and friends.
The Folk Show with Kate McNally- Stocking Stuffers Edition - from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
A Folk Show tradition - “The Stocking Stuffer” edition gives audience members a chance to request songs for their loved ones, with a mix of holiday and listener favorites. Join host Kate McNally and her devoted base of listeners for a holiday special rich in community and connection.
An Afro Blue Christmas - from 10:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Join us for a very special holiday concert with Howard University's premiere vocal ensemble Afro Blue and special guest pianist Cyrus Chestnut. Hear the acappela 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 of traditional holiday songs plus new compositions…music perfect for the holidays and the spirit of Christmas. Hosted by Michele Norris.
Three Tales of Christmas with Cantus - from 11:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m.
In Christmas with Cantus, Cantus weaves together three holiday stories with time-honored carols and new classics. Blending narration and song, the program features Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol and Christine Lê’s The Hawai’i Snowman, alongside Mark Twain’s “A Letter from Santa Claus,” offering an opportunity to reflect on the meaning and joy of the holiday season.
Thursday, December 25 - Christmas Day
An Exchange Tradition: Gerald Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol' - from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
On Christmas Day, we listen back to a seasonal favorite, our 2005 conversation with Gerald Charles Dickens, Charles Dickens's great-great-grandson and an actor. He toured America with his one-man performance of "A Christmas Carol," and we speak with him about the legacy of his namesake and the magic of "A Christmas Carol." He also performs a handful of scenes from his show.
The New London Barn Playhouse Presents: 'A Miracle On 34th Street' - from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Miracle on 34th Street is based on the classic 1947 film starring Maureen O’Hara, John Payne and Edmund Gwenn as Kris Kringle. When a department store Santa claims he’s the real Kris Kringle, his case gets taken all the way to the Supreme Court, and one little girl’s belief makes all the difference in the “miracle.” Recorded live with Foley effects (sound reproductions) and holiday carols, this special radio rebroadcast of Miracle on 34th Street will melt even the most cynical of hearts. Produced by the New London Barn Playhouse - the oldest, continuously operating Summer Stock theater in New Hampshire, and a longtime NHPR trade partner.
Christmas Revels: In Celebration of the Winter Solstice 2025 - from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
The twenty-ninth CHRISTMAS REVELS holiday broadcast draws on musical and spoken-word performance materials excerpted from live CHRISTMAS REVELS stage productions that took place last year in Cambridge, Massachusetts; Canaan, New Hampshire; Washington, D.C.; Boulder, Colorado; Houston, Texas; Santa Barbara, California; Portland, Oregon; and Tacoma, Washington.
Selected Shorts: What You Wish For - from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Host Meg Wolitzer presents three Christmas stories in different moods—satirical, fantastical, and nostalgic: “A Visit from Saint Nicholas (In the Ernest Hemingway Manner),” by James Thurber, performed by James Naughton; “O’Brien’s First Christmas,” by Jeanette Winterson, performed by Jayne Atkinson; and “One Christmas,” by Truman Capote, performed by John Shea.
All Songs Considered: Holiday Extravaganza - from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
This year Robin Hilton and Stephen Thomson head back to the snowy cabin in the woods where the annual All Songs Considered get-togethers began many years ago. Join us as we attempt to throw another party for the ages, with one simple, fate-tempting question: What could possibly go wrong?
On Point: Holiday Special - from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.
Vocal ensemble Blue Heron returns for a celebration of Christmas in 16th-century Spain, featuring mystical motets by Cristóbal de Morales, vivacious villancicos by Francisco Guerrero and a dash of comedy — Mateo Flecha’s rollicking tale of a shipwreck on Christmas Day, “La Bomba.” In between performances, artistic director Scott Metcalfe will discuss the music with On Point host Meghna Chakrabarti.
Joy to the World 2025 with Guest Judith Owen - from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Pianist Bob Thompson continues his holiday jazz tradition with this year’s Joy to the World, featuring special guest vocalist Judith Owen. An internationally renowned and revered jazz and blues vocalist, Owen puts her unique touch on some classic holiday tunes, while sharing her own original compositions that share her unique glimpse at Christmas thanks to her Welsh heritage. Trumpeter James Moore and saxophonist Ricardo Pascal also join in on the holiday cheer.
Civics 101 - Is Santa a Criminal? - from 6:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Today on Civics 101 from NHPR, we answer this question from a listener, "Is Santa a criminal?"
We get to the bottom of the myriad actions of the jolly old elf, and whether he could reasonably be tried for civil and criminal violations, including but not limited to trespassing, breaking and entering, voyeurism, stalking, surveillance, burglary, tax evasion, bad labor practices, emotional distress, and (in one instance) involuntary manslaughter.
Taking us through this complex web of charges is Colin Miller, professor at University of South Carolina School of Law.
The Big Tiny Desk Concert - from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Enjoy an encore airing of amazing holiday performances from The Tiny Desk Concert series including Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Steve Martin, Hanson, The Polyphonic Spree and more! Hosted by NPR Music frenemies Bob Boilen and Stephen Thompson.
Joy To The World: A Holiday in Pink - from 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
The internationally acclaimed “little orchestra" Pink Martini bedecks the airwaves with festive holiday songs from across the globe. From timeless classics to rarely heard gems, hear a multi-denominational, multi-cultural jubilee, overflowing with enough holiday spirit to warm your entire family. Hosted by All Things Considered’s Ari Shapiro.
A World Cafe Holiday - from 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
World Cafe is celebrating 30 years by revisiting special holiday performances from Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, Los Lobos, Andrew Bird, The Bird and The Bee, Pink Martini, Preservation Hall Jazz Band and more. Hosted by Raina Douris, this musical gift will provide a full hour of hip holiday cheer.
Jazz Piano Christmas 2025 - from 9:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Your favorite holiday classics as you’ve never heard them! The Kennedy Center and NPR present A Jazz Piano Christmas, the annual sell-out event featuring jazz-infused renditions of the season’s most-loved music. This year, we spotlight remarkable pianist, vocalist, and actress Melvis Santa—whose eclectic Afro-Cuban style has made her one of the most electrifying artists on the scene—in addition to internationally acclaimed Cuban composer and jazz pianist Alfredo Rodriguez. Hosted by Felix Contreras.
A Choral Christmas With Stile Antico - from 10:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Celebrate Christmas with the sound of soaring voices. Stile Antico, the award winning choir from London, pays a visit to St. Paul’s church on Harvard Square for a concert of radiant sacred music for the Christmas season by the most acclaimed composers of the renaissance. Hear the group’s luminous blend of voices sing the intricately woven music of Thomas Tallis and William Byrd. Hosted by Cathy Fuller of WGBH. Presented by NPR Music.
Friday, December 26
Long Story Short: In Hindsight - from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
For the final show of Long Story Short’s 10th anniversary season, we’re taking a look back with stories about the things that were, things we wish didn’t happen, and things that should have been. Join us for an evening a mix of talented storytellers share how their lives have changed and where their gained wisdom is taking them. You can also enjoy an encore airing of the program Saturday, Dec. 27 from 4 p.m. - 5 p.m..
Long Story Short is a quarterly storytelling series, hosted at the 3S Artspace in Portsmouth, showcases local voices from across the region.
The Seven Principles of Kwanzaa : Friday, Dec. 26 - Thursday, Jan. 1
The first of seven 2 1/2 minute segments produced by WXXI to air on each day of Kwanzaa. Each segment focuses on the specific principle of that day, and sheds a bit of light on either the principle itself, or some element of the celebration. Segments will air at 7:30 a.m. during Morning Edition, and at 7:04 a.m. during Weekend Edition.
Wednesday, December 31 - New Year’s Eve
A Season’s Griot 2025 - from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
A Season's Griot is public radio's only nationally syndicated Kwanzaa program. Hosted by acclaimed storyteller Madafo Lloyd Wilson, this annual one-hour special captures the tales and traditions of African American and African peoples. The show’s poet laureate, Beverly Fields Burnette, and other members of the Season’s Griot family return with familiar and favorite elements of Griot.
New Year’s Eve Folk Show - from 7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Ring in the new year with Folk Show host Kate McNally as she fills your evening with hand-picked favorites, timeless traditions, and a few musical surprises. Whether you’re celebrating with friends or enjoying a quiet night at home, Kate’s thoughtful mix of folk classics, new discoveries, and listener favorites will carry you into the new year with warmth, spirit, and great company.
Settle in, raise a glass, and welcome 2026 with the Folk Show with Kate McNally.
Toast of the Nation - from 10:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m.
An NPR tradition every New Year's Eve since the 1970s, Toast of the Nation is the perfect audio complement for the occasion. It's festive jazz you can party to, all night long. Hear sets from Jonathan Scales Fourchestra, Hiromi, Sunny Jain and Lizz Wright.
Wednesday, January 1, New Year's Day
New Year's Day From Vienna 2025 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
The ever popular annual New Year’s Day Concert will be performed by the Vienna Philharmonic under the baton of Maestro Daniel Barenboim. With this concert it is not only the desire of the Vienna Philharmonic to provide musically definitive interpretations of the masterworks of this genre, but also, as musical ambassadors of Austria, to send people all over the world a New Year's greeting in the spirit of hope, friendship and peace. Hosted by WBUR's Lisa Mullins.
NHPR Books: Best of 2025 Marathon from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Writers on a New England Stage: Dan Brown - from 1:00 p.m. to 2 p.m.
With over 200 million copies sold worldwide, Dan Brown’s novels have ignited global conversations and inspired blockbuster films, and have come to define the modern thriller. He sat down with Rick Ganley to discuss his latest novel, The Secret of Secrets — the sixth novel in his Robert Langdon series.
Check This Out: Best of 2025 - from 2:00 p.m. to 3 p.m.
A conversation with judges from the prestigious PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction, offering a behind-the-scenes look at what makes a book stand out—and their favorite books you might have missed.
Authors on Main: Laura Knoy - from 3:00 p.m.to 4 p.m.
Join NHPR at BNH Stage in Concord, NH for Authors on Main featuring Laura Knoy. She is joined in conversation by her friend and former colleague Rick Ganley, host of NHPR's Morning Edition, to discuss her debut novel, The Shopkeeper of Alsace.
