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Rearview Mirror Chronicles
Keith Hockton, FRAS, is a publisher, podcaster, writer and author based in Penang, Malaysia. He is South East Asian Editor for International Living, a lifestyle based magazine. He lectures internationally on history and Malaysia and is passionate about making history fun and accessible to all. Keith is a Fellow of The Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
His published books include:
• Atlas of Australian Dive Sites - Travellers Edition (Harper Collins Australia, 2003).
• Penang - An inside guide to its historic homes, buildings, monuments and parks (MPH Publishing, 2012; 2nd Edition 2014; 3rd Edition 2017).
• Festivals of Malaysia (Trafalgar Publishing, 2015).
• The Habitat Penang Hill: a pocket history (Entrepot Publishing, 2018)
• Alana and the Secret Life of Trees at Night (Entrepot Publishing, 2018)
• Penang Then & Now: A Century of Change in Pictures (Entrepot Publishing, 2019; 2nd Edition 2021)
• Bersama Lima - Five Together (Entrepot Publishing, 2022)
Rearview Mirror Chronicles
Christmas
This week on Rearview Mirror Chronicles, we unwrap the rich tapestry of Christmas history! From the sacred nativity stories in the Gospels to the Reformers’ bold attempts to redefine the holiday, we trace the evolution of this beloved celebration. We'll explore how St. Nicholas inspired the jolly figure of Santa Claus, revisit Dickens's timeless A Christmas Carol and its role in reviving festive traditions, and marvel at the extraordinary moment during World War I when soldiers laid down their arms for a Christmas Day football match. Join us for a journey through faith, literature, and legend to uncover what makes Christmas so enduringly magical!