Monday, November 24
Marketplace: Feeding the Family
This holiday season, Marketplace brings you a collection of stories on the business and economics of food. From rising grocery bills to farm fields, we’re breaking down what’s really shaping the meals on your table. (3 p.m. and 8 p.m.)
Tuesday, November 25
Reframing the Holidays: Toward Justice and Peace
Peace Talks Radio explores efforts to rename and reclaim holidays like Thanksgiving, Columbus Day, and Veterans Day. The false narratives around these holidays can hide painful truths, and reframing them can open space for justice, healing, and peace. (3 p.m. and 8 p.m.)
Wednesday, November 26
Science and Thanksgiving
On this special episode of The Pulse, we explore the traditions and rituals of Thanksgiving through a scientific lens. We hear stories about the neuroscience of gratitude; the environmental impact of our holiday feasts; and ask whether turkeys are really as dumb as they look (3 p.m. and 8 p.m.)
Thursday November 27 (Thanksgiving Day)
Milk Street Thanksgiving Special
How do you carve a turkey without the skin sliding off? What kind of pie should you make if you’re sick of apple? On this Milk Street Thanksgiving Special, chefs Jet Tila and Dominique Ansel join Chris Kimball to answer your Thanksgiving cooking questions. (1 p.m.)
Turkey Confidential
It's The Splendid Table’s annual Thanksgiving show and a Michigan Public tradition. Francis Lam takes calls and comes to the rescue of Thanksgiving cooks, kitchen helpers, and dinner guests during the biggest cooking day of the year. (2 p.m.)
Talking Turkey
This Liner Notes special explores how and where people celebrate Thanksgiving, what they cook, with whom they dine, and how the literature they love captures the essence of food, family and other things for which they are grateful. (8 p.m.)
Friday, November 28
Points North: Native American Endurance
In commemoration of Native American Heritage Day, the Points North podcast presents an hour-long special with stories of Native American endurance – endurance of language, of fishing rights, and of crops. (3 p.m. and 8 p.m.)
Sunday, December 14 (First night of Hanukkah)
Hanukkah Lights
This annual favorite marks the beginning of Hanukkah and a night full of stories and songs commemorating the Festival of Lights. We'll explore the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem, the lighting of the menorah, and the spiritual strength of the Jewish people. (7 p.m.)
Candles Burning Brightly
This is a delightful hour for everyone to celebrate the Jewish Festival of Light: We'll hear music from Jewish communities around the world, plus a hilarious lesson on how to prepare a classic Hanukkah dish, and a timeless and touching holiday story that brings light into every home. (8 p.m.)
Chanukah Memories and Melodies
Six prominent artists share their memories of Chanukah, and the music the holiday brings to mind. From soothing to surprising, from reverent to rowdy, their musical choices will inspire and delight you. (9 p.m.)
A Great Miracle Happened Here
Our celebration of Hanukkah concludes as Rabbi Ismar Schorsch and Host Larry Josephson discuss the history, rituals and meaning of Hanukkah — and its importance in our time. (10 p.m.)
Monday, December 22
Holiday Stories of Warmth and Light
Native American myths and tales help us endure or even enjoy the short days and long nights of winter. This year, Living on Earth’s annual celebration of wintertime stories includes how the Iroquois explain a twinkling constellation and an Abenaki custom that asks forgiveness for any wrongs from the previous year. (3 p.m. and 8 p.m.)
Tuesday, December 23
Handling the Holidays
From gift buying to family gatherings, the holidays can be extremely stressful. In this holiday special, we learn how science and pessimism can actually help make the holidays a little brighter. (3 p.m. and 8 p.m.)
Wednesday, December 24
Christmas Mashup
This fun, active, and somewhat quirky mix of holidays stories and sounds includes a bell-ringer at the Mall of America, holiday history as told by second graders, and carols sung by Zulu children in a South African orphanage. Sprinkled in, holiday bits from Bing Crosby, George W. Bush, and The Beatles Fan Club Christmas messages. (3 p.m.)
The True Story of the Twin Santas
This charming play is a delight for the whole family and kicks off a fun, thought-provoking evening of dramatic performances celebrating Christmas. In The True Story of the Twin Santas, the inherited title of Santa Claus is thrown for a loop when Ms. Claus gives birth to twins. (8 p.m.)
The Kindness of Time
This inspirational play for Advent and Christmas is a beautiful listening experience to nourish the spirit, banish midwinter blues, and remind listeners what lies at the heart of the Christmas story. (9 p.m.)
Ford's Theatre: A Christmas Carol
This adaptation of the popular Ford’s Theatre holiday tradition captures the magic of Dickens’ Yuletide classic. Join the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future as they lead Ebenezer Scrooge on a journey of transformation and redemption. (10 p.m.)
Thursday, December 25 (Christmas Day)
The Big Tiny Desk Holiday Special
NPR's world-famous Tiny Desk becomes a place to celebrate the season each year with some of your festive holiday favorites, as well as some tunes you've never heard before. (8 p.m.)
Friday, December 26
Practices of Hope
When the headlines numb our feelings and the culture wars grind us down, what if hope isn’t a mood at all—but a practice you can do with your body, your friends, and your city? In this holiday special, we look for the different ways we can actually practice hope. (3 p.m. and 8 p.m.)
Monday, December 29
National Writers' Series: Adriana Trigiani
Adriana Trigiani grew up in an Italian-American family in western Virginia. Her roots have inspired many of her bestselling novels, including her latest, The View From Lake Como. To kick off a week of enlightening Writers' Series conversations, she joins Doug Stanton at the City Opera House in Traverse City (3 p.m. and 8 p.m.)
Tuesday, December 30
National Writers' Series: Rick Atkinson
Three-time Pulitzer Prize winning author Rick Atkinson discusses the latest addition to his Revolution Trilogy, an historical series on the American Revolution. The Fate of the Day is the second book in the trilogy and he joins Doug Stanton to talk about it at the City Opera House in Traverse City. (3 p.m. and 8 p.m.)
Wednesday, December 31
Remembering Susan Stamberg
As 2025 draws to a close, we remember the incomparable Susan Stamberg, one of NPR's "founding mothers," who died in October. Colleagues remember her as a yenta, a mentor, and a storyteller who was always tough and true to herself. (3 p.m.)
Remembering Jane Goodall
In October of 2025, we witnessed the passing of another female pioneer, legendary primatologist Jane Goodall. In this special memorial, we listen back to a 2024 conversation when the indefatigable Goodall encouraged us all to vote "like your children's lives depend on it — because they do." (8 p.m.)
2025 Remembered from the Current:
As we begin the countdown to 2026, we look back on 2025 — what we witnessed, what we learned, and who we lost. (9 p.m.)
Thursday, January 1 (New Year's Day)
National Writers' Series: Jocelyn Benson
Michigan Secretary of State and potential gubernatorial candidate Jocelyn Benson joins Doug Stanton at the City Opera House in Traverse City to discuss her latest book, The Purposeful Warrior: Standing Up For What's Right When the Stakes are High. (3 p.m. and 8 p.m.)
Friday, January 2
National Writers' Series: Carl Hiaasen
Carl Hiaasen is known for his humorous crime thrillers set in his home state of Florida, including Bad Monkey, Razor Girl, and Squeeze Me. In this Writers' Series conversation, he discusses his latest novel, Fever Beach, at the City Opera House in Traverse City. (3 p.m. and 8 p.m.)
