Long before Santa, Bing Crosby and the Mattel Toy Company stole the occasion, even before Christianity itself kidnapped it, the Winter Solstice was celebrated with seasonal ritual. One ancient solstice custom is mummering. Still practiced annually in parts of England and Ireland, this great-grand-daddy of Halloween masquerade died out in much of Canada and the United States centuries ago. In North America today, it is a popular part of Christmas now only in Newfoundland and Pennsylvania.

On any night during the 12 days of Christmas you may hear a pounding on your door and strange indrawn voices shouting outside: "Any mummers allowed?" They are certain to track muddy boots across your carpet, play music, demand drink and act outrageously. Award winning producer Chris Brookes traipses over Newfoundland, onto Ireland and ends up in Philadelphia in pursuit of these rough-and-tumble spirits of the ancient winter solstice.

The Soundprint documentary series features the best work of top radio producers. The award winning documentaries are renowned for drawing the listener into the story with compelling interviews, authentic voices and rich sound. From memoirs to science, health and popular culture, Soundprint creates a powerful experience the listener will not soon forget. Here are some related Soundprint documentaries:

Angels and America Produced by: Judith Kampfner

The Day of the Dead Produced by: Marco Vinicio Gonzalez and Maria Hinojosa

Soundprint Executive Producer: Moira Rankin

Technical Director: Anna Maria de Freitas

Audio Engineer: Jared Weissbrot

Associate Producer: Katie Gott

Production Assistant: Jessica Phillips