In this holiday episode of Weekend Scholar we dive into three strange and wonderful corners of Christmas culture: chaotic gift exchanges, the over-the-top finale of Home Alone, and the secret backstory of an iconic Christmas pop song.

First, we unwrap the wild world of the holiday gift exchange. What’s the difference between a White Elephant gift exchange, a Yankee Swap, Dirty Santa, Secret Santa, Pollyanna, and even the wonderfully weird Cobweb Party? We walk through how each game works, where the traditions came from, and why every office thinks their rules are the official ones. If you’ve ever squinted at a “we’re doing a White Elephant” email and wondered if you’re supposed to bring a gag gift, a candle, or your soul, this segment breaks down the gift-swap chaos—White Elephants, Yankee Swaps, party-game stealing, and all.

Next, we head into movie territory and zoom in on the legendary booby-trap sequence from the iconic movie Home Alone. We look at how director Chris Columbus, writer John Hughes, cinematographer Julio Macat, and production designer John Muto turned the McCallister house into a slapstick war zone. We talk about Kevin McCallister’s battle plan, the Wet Bandits, stunt doubles taking massive falls, and old-school effects tricks used for things like the blowtorch to the head and the red-hot doorknob.

Finally, we switch on the radio and dig into the origin of one of the most played-to-death Christmas songs of all time—a holiday anthem with sleigh bells, synths, and a chorus you can’t escape. We trace how this “not-really-about-Christmas” track was written, how quickly the songwriter put it together, why it didn’t hit number one at first, how it kept climbing back onto the charts year after year, and how it eventually turned into a global Christmas music staple with countless covers and massive streaming numbers.

If you’re into holiday trivia, Christmas movie lore, and the secret stories behind the songs and traditions we take for granted, this episode of Weekend Scholar is your cozy, nerdy December companion.

Hit play on “Gift Wraps, Booby Traps, Christmas Toe Taps” to prep for your next gift exchange, rewatch Home Alone with fresh eyes, and try to guess the mystery ’80s Christmas hit before we say the name out loud.