West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Encore: Holiday Traditions, Inside Appalachia

Published
Bill Lynch, Mason Adams, Kelley Libby, Abby Neff, Zander Aloi, Capri Cafaro, Margaret McLeod Leef, Roxy Todd, Briana Heaney, Rebecca Williams
Carolers gathering on a porch in the evening. White Christmas lights are seen all around.

Wassailers gather on a porch in the Montford neighborhood of Asheville, North Carolina in December 2022. It was customary in England and Wales for wassailers to be offered food and drink in exchange for singing.

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This week, we go a-wassailing in Asheville, North Carolina. It’s kind of like Christmas caroling, with a kick.

Also, family recipes bring generations together. But what happens when you’ve got grandma’s potato candy recipe, and it doesn’t have exact measurements? 

And, a new book explores the magical dark side of nature. 

You’ll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.

In This Episode:

Here We Go A-Wassailing

Two carolers sing at night. They look happy and are bundled up in coats, scarves, and hats to keep warm.
Wassailers sing outside a home in Asheville, North Carolina. Traditionally, wassailers not only sang for their neighbors, but also sang in apple orchards to ensure a good harvest for the coming year.

Photo Credit: Rebecca Williams/West Virginia Public Broadcasting

The winter holidays are a chance to get together and find some good cheer.

In Asheville, North Carolina, a group of friends has been taking part in the English singing tradition of wassailing. It’s like Christmas caroling, but older. And for some of the singers, wassailing has become a way to connect to their roots.

In 2023, Folkways Reporter Rebecca Williams had this story.

Goats Love Listening To Christmas Music

A goat on Connie Bailey Kitts’ farm in Bluefield, Virginia listening to an organ.

Photo Credit: Roxy Todd/West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Holiday music isn’t just for humans. In 2019, former Inside Appalachia producer Roxy Todd traveled to a farm in Bluefield, Virginia. That’s where she met a herd of music-loving goats that gather each Christmas to listen to the sound of carols played on a church organ.

Grandma’s Potato Candy

Brenda Sandoval testing the consistency of the potato mixture.

Photo Credit: Capri Cafaro/West Virginia Public Broadcasting

A lot of families have tried and true holiday recipes. Often, these treasured family recipes get passed down and are a way to connect with the past. But not all of them use exact measurements. So how do you know you’re getting the mix right, especially if you’ve never tried it? 

In 2023, Capri Cafaro brought us a story about Brenda Sandoval’s attempt to recreate her grandmother’s potato candy.

Communion Wafers And Apple Butter Inspire Chefs’ Work At Lost Creek Farm

Mike Costello and Amy Dawson top communion wafer crackers with homemade apple butter for a dinner event. The couple serves story-rich, heritage-inspired cuisine at their dinner events, including these two recipes.

Photo courtesy of Lost Creek Farm Archive

Mike Costello and Amy Dawson are the husband-and-wife duo behind Lost Creek Farm in Harrison County, West Virginia. The couple hosts farm-to-table suppers. 

Along with the meal, they share stories behind the recipes. To start their suppers, Mike and Amy typically begin with an appetizer that mashes up two food traditions from their childhoods.

In 2022, Folkways Reporter Margaret McLeod Leef delivered this story.

Christmas Train Breathing Life Into Old Lumber Town

The Train Station has been there for over 100 years. It now sells hot chocolate, snacks, and souvenirs.

Photo Credit: Briana Heaney/West Virginia Public Broadcasting

A lot of folks get nostalgic about trains, especially around the holidays. Hollywood tapped into that nostalgia with “The Polar Express,” a 2004 movie about a magical train ride to the North Pole.

In 2023, WVPB’s Briana Heaney visited Cass State Park and rode along on West Virginia’s version of the Polar Express. 

Adventures Among Glow Worms And Fireflies

Leigh Ann Henion’s Night Magic explores the surprises of the nighttime world.

Courtesy Photo

Leigh Ann Henion is an author from Boone, North Carolina. Her new book is about what happens after the sun goes down. It’s called, Night Magic: Adventures Among Glowworms, Moon Gardens and Other Marvels of the Dark.

Producer Bill Lynch spoke with Henion about staying up late, and not so late, to see wonders.

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Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by The Sycomores, Bob Thompson, the Cappella Bell Choir and Bela Fleck and the Flecktones.  

Bill Lynch is our producer. Abby Neff is our associate producer. Zander Aloi also helped produce this episode. Our executive producer is Eric Douglas. Kelley Libby is our editor. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens. We had help this week from Folkways Editor Nicole Musgrave.

You can send us an email: InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.

You can find us on Instagram, Threads or here on Facebook.

Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

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