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Leonard Lopate plays some of his favorites for his annual Christmas gospel hour.

On December 27, 1951, the Brownsville Boy's Club hosted  5,000 children to an inter-faith party at the 106th Regiment Armory in Brooklyn. 

With Christmas rapidly approaching, The Takeaway asked you to help us craft the ultimate holiday song. Listeners submitted their lyrics, and Takeaway producer Hsi-Chang Lin and former interim digital editor Ben Brock Johnson composed the music and performed it. Happy holidays from everyone at The Takeaway! (Download the song after the jump.)

It was with a sense of excitement and eagerness that I opened an e-mailed document with the recipe for WNYC Morning Edition Host Soterios Johnson's mom's melomakarona. The cookies are famous among the Morning Edition crew. 

Turns out the recipe can feed them, and most of our listening audience. 

Sitting on Santa Claus's lap can be be an especially daunting proposition for children who are among the 1.5 million Americans with autism spectrum disorders. However, for many parents, there may be hope this Christmas. The Ohio-based Glimcher Realty Trust — which owns 2 dozen malls nationwide — has recently started working with autism groups to offer "sensitive Santa" sessions at its malls.

Here's some uplifting news for the holiday season. A new study finds that in 2011 Americans were the most generous people in the world. The U.S. rose from fifth place on the "World Giving Index" in 2010 to number one this year. Ireland placed second, followed by Australia, New Zealand and Great Britain. What tipped the scale in the U.S.'s favor this year was not just monetary donations, but volunteer work and kindness to strangers.

For many of us, the holiday season is a time for family and celebration. But for others, it's a time for snuggling up with someone special under the mistletoe. And in honor of those folks, we bring you a very special "Remixing the Holidays" interview, with three of our favorite, and flirtiest performers. The Puppini Sisters are Marcella Puppini, Stephanie O'Brien and Kate Mullins.

If you’re one of those people who say, “Bah, Humbug!” when you hear yet another version of “Silent Night” on the store muzak systems, give a listen to the eclectic holiday mixtape that Chelsea resident Bill Adler has been doing for close to 30 years.

Christmas starts earlier every year, and perhaps the wreaths and peppermint mochas have you rolling your eyes. If so, too bad! It’ll be over soon enough, so light a pine-scented candle, set your Pandora to "Jingle Bells," and dig in to the Studio 360 Christmas archive. ...

Gingerbread men, Greek kourabiedes, Hanukkah jelly donuts, frosted sugar cookies and Italian torrone messinesi nougat candy are just some of the sweet foods eaten during the holiday season. What's your favorite holiday cookie, cake or candy? Let us know here and check out our slideshow of holiday cookies and sweets made in New York City kitchens.

There are two kinds of people: those who love Christmas movies and those who hate them. Rafer and Kristen are each one of those kinds of people. Can you guess who is the Grinch and who is little Susan Walker? Either way, both have their holiday favorites — even if they don't all have to do with Christmas. Take a listen and add your own favorites in the comments! 

Did you know that the White House selects a "theme" every Christmas for its holiday decor? 

I didn't either, until I got a hold of the press release announcing it.  This year it's "Shine, Give, Share." I'm guessing that the recipe for Pumpkin Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting included in a press release the White House sent out Wednesday (and found below) was part of the "sharing" initiative.

Ever heard of FORBS, otherwise known as the Fraternity of Real Bearded Santas? How about the IOS — the International Order of Santas? As Kris Kringle begins to show up at malls across America, The Takeaway takes a look at where these men come from. The Charles H. Howard School, founded in 1937, is the oldest continually running Santa school in the world and has trained thousands of people to stand in for the real guy when he’s too booked up. Tom Valent is the dean of the Charles H. Howard Santa Claus School, and has been a Santa for 35 years. Holly Valent is the school’s registrar.

Jazz pianist Marcus Roberts will perform songs from his new album “Celebrating Christmas” live in the studio. On the album, Roberts is joined by Rodney Jordan on bass and his longtime drummer Jason Marsalis, and together they weave familiar holiday melodies into the layered rhythms, tones and textures of traditional jazz.

This holiday season WQXR and WNYC are broadcasting a radio drama version of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol with David Hyde Pierce as Scrooge and many of your favorite public radio hosts as narrators and characters. Composer John Forster played piano and A Prairie Home Companion's Fred Newman performed stunning live sound effects.