KPBS Holiday Programming 2011

Rick Steves’ European Christmas

Airs Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2012 at 8 p.m. & Saturday, Dec. 22 at 5 p.m. on KPBS TV

Rick Steves and family huddle together for the holidays in the alpine town of Gimmelwald, Switzerland.

Credit: Courtesy of Rick Steves

Above: Rick Steves and family huddle together for the holidays in the alpine town of Gimmelwald, Switzerland.

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

After producing a hundred of his travel shows, Rick Steves and his public television crew finally celebrated Christmas in Europe. Rick and his gang brought home a vivid and intimate look at how seven diverse cultures celebrate Christmas.

Germany's ultimate Christmas market lights up the main square in Nurnberg.

Courtesy of Rick Steves

Germany's ultimate Christmas market lights up the main square in Nurnberg.

Sleighride at dusk in the Alps. Dashing through the snow, Rick Steves takes his public television viewers across Europe in search of the rich and varied traditional celebrations of Christmas.

Courtesy of Rick Steves

Sleighride at dusk in the Alps. Dashing through the snow, Rick Steves takes his public television viewers across Europe in search of the rich and varied traditional celebrations of Christmas.

European Christmas Recipes

Get the recipes for holiday treats from seven countries.

Christmas Slideshow

View snapshots from this Rick Steves Christmas special.

From England to Norway, Burgundy to Bavaria, and Rome to the top of the Swiss Alps, this special gets you down on the carpet with wide-eyed children, up in the loft with the finest choirs, and into the kitchen with grandma and all her secrets.

You'll experience traditional European Christmas like never before: from flaming puddings and minced pies in jolly old England to angelic girls' choirs sporting flickering crowns of candles in Olso.

From grandpa reading the Bible high in Switzerland to the pope in a jam-packed St. Peter's Basilica for midnight Mass.

Above all, you'll be treated to traditional European holiday music --unfamiliar to most American ears -- performed by families and choirs in their homes, chapels and cathedrals.

Rick's Travel Philosophy:

Travel is freedom...one of the last great sources of legal adventure. Travel is intensified living, with maximum thrills per minute. It's recess, and we need it. Experiencing the real Europe requires catching it by surprise, going casual...Through the Back Door.

Rick Steves is on Facebook, and you can follow @RickSteves on Twitter.

Video

Video Excerpt: Rick Steves' European Christmas

Above: While each European country gives Christmas its own special twist, they all follow the same story of how the son of God was born on earth, as told in the Bible and illustrated over the centuries by great artists. In this segment, we begin where the Christmas story begins: with the Annunciation of Mary and the birth of Christ. For more information on "Rick Steves' European Christmas" — including the "European Christmas" DVD, Blu-ray, Music CD and Book — visit www.ricksteves.com.

Video

Rick Steves' European Christmas: London

Above: Leaving the tranquility of the English countryside behind, London offers Christmas fun fit for a queen and streets twinkling with joy. For more information on "Rick Steves' European Christmas" — including the "European Christmas" DVD, Blu-ray, Music CD and Book — visit www.ricksteves.com.

Video

Rick Steves' European Christmas: Italy

Above: From Piazza Navona's Christmas market to the ultimate manger scene in front of St. Peter's Basilica, the city of Rome bursts with Christmas traditions. In Tuscany, sacred music and prayer infuse the tranquil landscape, and living nativities recreate the town of Bethlehem on the most holy of nights. For more information on "Rick Steves' European Christmas" — including the "European Christmas" DVD, Blu-ray, Music CD and Book — visit www.ricksteves.com.

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