Why We Kiss Under the Mistletoe Audiobook By Michael P. Foley cover art

Why We Kiss Under the Mistletoe

Christmas Traditions Explained

Preview
LIMITED TIME OFFER

3 months free
Try for $0.00
Offer ends July 31, 2025 at 11:59PM PT.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 3 months. Cancel anytime.

Why We Kiss Under the Mistletoe

By: Michael P. Foley
Narrated by: John McLain
Try for $0.00

$0.00/mo. after 3 months. Offer ends July 31, 2025 at 11:59PM PT. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $21.83

Buy for $21.83

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use, License, and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel

From the famed author of international bestseller Drinking with the Saints, every Christmas tradition explained and celebrated, as well as a glimpse into all the sometimes macabre and always fascinating nooks and crannies of the holiday. Deepen your knowledge of and love for Christmas!

The definitive guide to every question you’ve had about the Christmas holiday—and many more you’ve never thought to ask!

In Why We Kiss Under the Mistletoe, bestselling author Michael Foley dives deep into the history of Christmas and the customs that surround this beloved holiday. Learn about the fascinating origins of your favorite Christmas food, drink, observances, and songs. Discover how Saint Nicolas, a fourth-century Catholic bishop, became Santa Clause and who Santa’s global competitors are (some of them will shock you). And dig into the forbidden history of the Yuletide season’s dark and ghoulish side.

Witty, imaginative, and wholly unique, Why We Kiss Under the Mistletoe is the stocking stuffer that will be revisited every year.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2022 Michael P. Foley (P)2022 Oasis Audio
Christian Living Christianity History Holidays

Listeners also enjoyed...

Stories Behind the Great Traditions of Christmas Audiobook By Ace Collins cover art
Stories Behind the Great Traditions of Christmas By: Ace Collins
Christmas Past Audiobook By Brian Earl cover art
Christmas Past By: Brian Earl
The True Saint Nicholas Audiobook By William J. Bennett cover art
The True Saint Nicholas By: William J. Bennett
A Jane Austen Christmas: Regency Christmas Traditions Audiobook By Maria Grace cover art
A Jane Austen Christmas: Regency Christmas Traditions By: Maria Grace
Jesus of Nazareth Audiobook By Pope Benedict XVI cover art
Jesus of Nazareth By: Pope Benedict XVI
Haunted New Orleans: History & Hauntings of the Crescent City Audiobook By Troy Taylor cover art
Haunted New Orleans: History & Hauntings of the Crescent City By: Troy Taylor
Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas Audiobook By Ace Collins cover art
Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas By: Ace Collins
Code Name: Lise Audiobook By Larry Loftis cover art
Code Name: Lise By: Larry Loftis
Letter to the American Church Audiobook By Eric Metaxas cover art
Letter to the American Church By: Eric Metaxas
The Six Conversations Audiobook By Heather Holleman cover art
The Six Conversations By: Heather Holleman
The 13th Gift Audiobook By Joanne Huist Smith cover art
The 13th Gift By: Joanne Huist Smith
The Old Magic of Christmas Audiobook By Linda Raedisch cover art
The Old Magic of Christmas By: Linda Raedisch
The Crucifixion of the King of Glory: The Amazing History and Sublime Mystery of the Passion Audiobook By Eugenia Scarvelis Constantinou PhD cover art
The Crucifixion of the King of Glory: The Amazing History and Sublime Mystery of the Passion By: Eugenia Scarvelis Constantinou PhD
The Catholic Gentleman Audiobook By Sam Guzman, Dale Ahlquist cover art
The Catholic Gentleman By: Sam Guzman, and others
The Love Stories of the Bible Speak Audiobook By Shannon Bream cover art
The Love Stories of the Bible Speak By: Shannon Bream
Celebrating a Christ-Centered Christmas Audiobook By Emily Belle Freeman cover art
Celebrating a Christ-Centered Christmas By: Emily Belle Freeman
Guide to Norse Pagan Holidays Audiobook By Emma Karlsson cover art
Guide to Norse Pagan Holidays By: Emma Karlsson
Meditations on Death Audiobook By Thomas Á Kempis cover art
Meditations on Death By: Thomas Á Kempis
Reforesting Faith Audiobook By Matthew Sleeth cover art
Reforesting Faith By: Matthew Sleeth
Witch Queens, Voodoo Spirits, and Hoodoo Saints Audiobook By Denise Alvarado cover art
Witch Queens, Voodoo Spirits, and Hoodoo Saints By: Denise Alvarado
Most relevant  
The world of Christmas traditions is a far more strange, dark, and utterly delightful realm than I ever imagined. As a convert to Catholicism, my awareness of the range and depths of the holiday was, I thought, already greatly expanded from my sweetly simple childhood understanding of the Nativity story and cultural indoctrination in material gluttony and hollow nostalgia that all good Americans possess. I had NO IDEA what I was in for when I started this book.

First off, the charming cover and title are somewhat misleading. This is a through-the-looking-glass book where you meet so many odd, delightful, and disturbing characters (real and imagined), historical events, and funny practices that began innocently enough, but spun and whirled out of all recognition, it is a wonder the history is traceable at all! Barbara branches, the Devil's Funeral, the Gavle Goat, Dickensian goblins, cannabalistic Christmas werewolves, Chestertonian illuminations, Shakespearian explications, and encyclopedia of Christmas carol origins and another of foods, Miracle plays, and yes, the mistletoe... it's all here to sample or read right through. Untangling origin stories is Foley's strong suit and drink, and he delivers them with his signature flair, wit, attention to detail, and delight in storytelling. While I must admit I rather hoped Foley would be the reader for the audiobook, the narrator does a wonderful delivery.

This is not the flattened Christmas you've seen on TV. It's a bullseye shot straight through to its true heart. It is living, glorious, earthy, mould-laden, fire-sparking, piercing light, pure joy in fullness.

A thousand thanks, Michael Foley, and a Merry Christmas.

A Curiouser Christmas

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

The narrator was the wrong voice for this type of Christmas story - he would have been better in a drama or murder mystery. Never really got through that.

Wrong voice for Christmas

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.