Christmas countdown day 13: the hidden messages in carols

Beyond the festive there's a hint of rebellion and even revolution.

Ian Bradley

Ian Bradley is Emeritus Professor of Cultural and Spiritual History at the University of St Andrews.

Coventry Cathedral.

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The Christmas Countdown

It’s the season to be jolly, stressed, and all round Christmassy. On the Seen & Unseen Aloud podcast, we’re here for you with our Aloud Christmas Countdown!

Every day in December, we’ll drop some of the best seasonal content from Seen & Unseen Aloud. From how to survive Christmas, reviews of the best Christmas movies and the origin story of Santa Claus.

For when you’ve got your hands full of mince pies and baubles, but you still want to hear some thoughtful content, subscribe to Seen & Unseen Aloud for the Christmas Countdown.

Subscribe to the podcast on Apple, Spotify, or Amazon.

Throughout the year, the Seen & Unseen Aloud brings you the week’s best articles, in a short 20 minute podcast episode. Browse the index for episodes from Seen & Unseen Aloud, Re-enchanting and GodPod.

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Culture

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Seen & Unseen Aloud

17 February 2025

1 min read

New episode: remembrance and romance

Listen now: The 21 - a powerful short film; plans for Grenfell Tower; and the top 5 rom coms.

Natalie Garrett

Natalie produces and narrates The Seen & Unseen Aloud podcast. She's an Anglican minister and a trained actor.

An animated scene shows a dark sky under which prisoners are marched along a river.

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This week, Belle Tindall talks to us about The 21 - a new and powerful short film telling the story of 21 men killed by ISIS 10 years ago; Graham Tomlin explores the different ways of remembering as plans begin to take down the Grenfell Tower; and Yaroslav Walker takes a stroll through his Top 5 romantic comedy movies of years gone by.