Warm Up Your Winter with WTTW’s Holiday Programming

The holidays are here, and WTTW is here to help get you in the festive spirit with a line-up of holiday programming. Cozy up by a fire and grab a plate of cookies to enjoy holiday cooking specials, musical performances, Christmas markets around the world, and much, much more. Watch performances from ensembles around the globe and specials that examine traditional and contemporary customs of Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa.

Click on the schedule links to see additional air times.

Travel, Cooking, and Culture

Curious Traveler: Curious Austrian Christmas Markets

Thursday, November 27 at 9:00 pm on WTTW
Why is a European Christmas Market also called Weihnachtsmarkt or a Christkindlmarkt? And what do these markets have to do with the Holy Roman Empire? Why do you find Christmas markets mostly in German-speaking countries? What is the curious history of the Advent wreath, of “Silent Night,” and a creepy Christmas character named Krampus? And is a Krampus different from a Krapfen? Discover the answers with Curious Traveler.

European Christmas Markets

Thursday, November 27 at 9:30 pm on WTTW
Discover Europe’s Christmas Markets, where the town center, market square, or the narrow, cobblestone streets of the cities and towns of Europe come alive in winter with festively decorated wooden stalls offering all sorts of treats and delights. As we travel through Germany, France, and Switzerland we visit cities and towns and learn of their history, see their major sights, and visit their charming markets.

Mary Berry’s Ultimate Christmas

Saturday, November 29 at 3:35 pm on WTTW
Join the beloved British home cook and three special friends as they prepare her ultimate Christmas feast with all the trimmings. From the traditional turkey to her classic Christmas pudding, it’s the perfect recipe for a deliciously festive holiday.

Rick Steves’ European Christmas

Saturday, November 29 at 5:30 pm on WTTW
From manger scenes and mistletoe to wintry wonderlands, Rick Steves’ European Christmas celebrates the Christmas season throughout the European continent. In the special, Rick visits friends and families in England, France, Norway, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Italy to reveal their customs and practices of the holiday season.

Mary Berry’s Highland Christmas

Sunday, December 7 at 8:30 pm on WTTW
Mary Berry spends Christmas in her mother’s homeland of Scotland to enjoy a winter break soaking up her Scottish heritage and enjoying traditional festive delights with familiar faces, as well cooking up some of her own indulgent dishes.

J Schwanke’s Life In Bloom: Holidays for Blooms

Sunday, December 14 at 6:00 am on WTTW
In this special edition of Life in Bloom, J shows you ways to enjoy flowers for the Christmas holidays. J gives us a tour of his holiday decorations, shows us how to decorate a mini boxwood tree, and creates a triple berry centerpiece complete with floating cranberries. Learn to wrap presents the “J-way”, and a bouquet made with a few of J’s favorite things.

J Schwanke’s Life In Bloom: Winter In Bloom

Sunday, December 14 at 6:30 am on WTTW
J shows ways to enjoy flowers in winter and for the holidays beyond the traditional red and green in this episode of Life in Bloom. J arranges with hydrangea blooms, creates a silver and white centerpiece, and decorates for the holidays with unexpected color combinations. Some flower arrangements also call for a chance of snow.

Key Ingredient with Sheri Castle: Sheri’s Home Recipes for the Holidays

Sunday, December 14 at 7:00 am on WTTW
Sheri shares easy and delicious holiday recipes that are sure to be a hit at your next seasonal gathering. She whips up her mouthwatering roasted red pepper dip with pomegranate molasses and shares a brunch showstopper: savory bread pudding with ham, cheese, and spinach. Sheri also shares her favorite recipe for a fluffy coconut cake and incredible tasty crab cake bites.

Sara’s Weeknight Meals: Holiday Food Gifts

Sunday, December 14 at 7:30 am on WTTW
A thoughtful gift you make yourself speaks volumes, and food is the present everyone loves! Sara releases your creative spirit by teaching how to make Homemade Marshmallows with a Hot Chocolate Mix. For the wine enthusiast, her Homemade Cheese Crackers pair beautifully with some cheese and wine. Peppermint Bark looks very expensive but couldn't be easier to make. As an added bonus, we’ll have creative packaging ideas that will make your gifts everyone's favorites.

A Celebration of Hanukkah

Sunday, December 14 at 6:00 pm on WTTW
Follow Geoffrey Baer on a heartwarming, nostalgic, and humorous journey as he tells the story of Hanukkah, exploring the time-honored traditions of this joyous Jewish holiday and making a few surprising discoveries along the way. With the help of Chicago-area Jewish and interfaith families and children, musicians, and religious leaders, Geoffrey also sets out to answer some age-old questions, samples seasonal culinary delights, attends a car-top Menorah parade, visits a home lavishly decorated for the holidays, hits a Hanukkah pop-up bar in Wrigleyville, and much more. Explore the website and stream the show any time.

A Chef’s Life Holiday Special

Thursday, December 18 at 8:00 pm on WTTW
Delectable fudge. Crispy peanut brittle. Gooey chocolate-covered cherries. Old-fashioned caramels. It’s the stuff of holiday memories with a little bit of a twist. Doing what she knows best, Chef Vivian Howard hosts her own vision of the season’s celebrations in this one-hour special exploring holiday traditions – Kinston, North Carolina style. A Chef’s Life: Holiday Special invites viewers to join in one of the most charming and delicious celebrations of the season.

Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Television: Holiday Entertaining

Sunday, December 21 at 6:30 am on WTTW
This episode explores the best recipes for holiday entertaining. Milk Street Cook Matthew Card and Christopher Kimball prepare an Argentinian-Style Stuffed Pork Loin with Chimichurri, a layered and filling dinner. Then Milk Street Cook Erika Bruce whips up a buttery and rich French Walnut Tart, which is an elevated take on the classic American pecan pie.

Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Television: Milk Street Holidays

Sunday, December 21 at 7:30 am on WTTW
Festive doesn’t have to mean expensive. Turn economical beef eye-round into a succulent holiday roast with a prune, peppercorn, and fresh herb-rubbed roast beef. Then, a British favorite gets a transatlantic twist with rye-on-rye sticky toffee pudding. Milk Street Cook Lynn Clark shows Chris how to make skillet-charred Brussels sprouts. And Chris discusses Sara Moulton’s kitchen cabinet essentials.

Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Television: New Holiday Vegetables

Sunday, December 21 at 8:00 am on WTTW
Milk Street transforms vegetables for the holidays. First, we make Buttery Hazelnut and Winter Squash Tian, shingling thinly sliced pieces of butternut squash for an impressive presentation. Then, we call on cornstarch to make Crisp Oven-Fried Cauliflower with Tahini-Yogurt Sauce and use the “braise and glaze” technique for Moroccan-Spiced Glazed Carrots flavored with garlic, honey and cumin.

Dooky Chase Kitchen: Leah’s Legacy – Christmas Traditions

Sunday, December 21 at 11:00 am on WTTW
The Chase family established Christmas traditions that evolved around the restaurant. The festivity continues with a Christmas Eve pajama party that includes festive dishes like Stuffed Mirliton and Poached Redfish from Chefs Dook Chase and Cleo Robinson. Chef Dook and Eve Marie Haydel join forces on Spiked Eggnog.

Sara’s Weeknight Meals: How Sweet It Is

Sunday, December 21 at 11:30 am on WTTW
Holidays are when Sara pulls out the stops when it comes to sweets and desserts. Try her Glazed Pears and shortbread pecan praline, or the surprising twist on potstickers filled with dried plum and apricots. On Ask Sara, she shares tips on blind baking a pie crust for the pumpkin and apple pies of the season. Then a favorite food gift in Sara’s family – homemade Chocolate Peppermint Bark.

Cultural Expressions: Kwanzaa

Saturday, December 27 at 7:00 am on WTTW
Honoring the heritage, unity, culture, and rich contributions of African Americans, Kwanzaa is more than just a celebration; it's a way of life. Cultural Expressions: Kwanzaa  is an hour-long documentary that explores the seven principles that are the foundation of Kwanzaa by sharing seven real-life stories of impact. These stories reveal how each principle plays a role in the Black community, enhanced by cultural elements of dance, storytelling, music, and spoken word.

Karamu: Feast for the 7th Day

Saturday, December 27 at 8:00 am on WTTW
Hosted by lifestyle expert Sira Williams, Karamu: Feast for the 7th Day explores the tradition of Kwanzaa, focusing on the final feast that concludes the annual celebration. The half-hour program explores the history, principles, and symbols of Kwanzaa while celebrating the culinary traditions of West Africa. Featuring dishes from Mali, Ghana, and Nigeria, this program focuses on food and culture, and their integral relationship to building community. Sira also shares her personal story as a child born in Mali, West Africa, to her American mother and Malian father, giving viewers insight into her experience growing up and the importance of African roots in American culture.

Music & Performance

Season of Light: Christmas with the Tabernacle Choir

Thursday, December 11 at 9:30 pm on WTTW Prime
The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square join with award winning artists Lea Salonga and Sir David Suchet for Season of Light: Christmas with The Tabernacle Choir, a festive and uplifting Christmas special. This concert will illuminate your holiday experience with timeless carols, treasured songs, and a story of heroic service.

Hope of the Season: Christmas with the Tabernacle Choir

Monday, December 15 at 7:00 pm on WTTW
Tony Award-winner Ruthie Ann Miles and iconic actor Dennis Haysbert inspire in this holiday special that combines classic Christmas carols with a contemporary story of how giving back and uplifting communities is the true meaning of the season.

Great Performances: Nutcracker from English National Ballet

Tuesday, December 16 at 7:00 pm on WTTW
Enjoy Tchaikovsky’s holiday classic set in Edwardian-era London. Clara embarks on a fantastical adventure with her enchanted nutcracker featuring over 100 dancers and a magical, dreamlike realm. Choreographed by Aaron S. Watkin and Arielle Smith.

American Masters: Ten Times Better

Tuesday, December 16 at 8:30 pm on WTTW
The astonishing and heartwarming story of George Lee, a pioneering Asian dancer who originated a featured role in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker 70 years ago as a teenage immigrant from China.

St. Olaf Christmas Festival: Our Hope for Years to Come

Thursday, December 18 at 9:00 pm on WTTW
St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota presents music for the Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany Season. First held in 1912, the St. Olaf Christmas Festival is one of the oldest musical celebrations of Christmas in the United States, and features more than 450 students from St. Olaf College's renowned choirs and orchestra. Featuring familiar carols, beloved choral works, and exciting new compositions, themes of the Advent and Christmas season are explored through music in this cherished tradition.

Come and See! A Concordia Christmas

Wednesday, December 24 at 10:30 am on WTTW
Concordia University Irvine’s fifth annual made-for-TV special includes vocal and instrumental performances of contemporary and classic holiday songs, and features original works by Concordia alumni and students to celebrate the holiday season.

Joy: Christmas with the Tabernacle Choir

Wednesday, December 24 at 11:30 am on WTTW
Broadway star Michael Maliakel and beloved actress Lesley Nicol (Downton Abbey) inspire in this holiday special that weaves Christmas classics with the story of Victor Hugo to show that opening our hearts to all is the true meaning of the season.

Too Hot to Handel: The Gospel Messiah

Wednesday, December 24 at 8:30 pm on WTTW
Handel’s 18th century masterpiece “The Messiah” has been reimagined by Conductor Marin Alsop with colleagues Bob Christianson and Gary Anderson. Handel's arias, choruses and orchestration have been infused with Gospel, Jazz and R&B creating an uplifting reinterpretation of this Christmas and Easter favorite, performed at London’s Royal Albert Hall.

United States Army Field Band: Sound the Bells

Wednesday, December 24 at 1:00 pm on WTTW
Recorded live at The Lyric in Baltimore, this one-hour holiday special features the Musical Ambassadors of the Army – the U.S. Army Field Band – showcasing the incredible musical talents of active duty soldiers. Packed with beloved classics, new holiday favorites, and messages of hope and togetherness, this festive celebration brings the warmth and joy of the holidays straight to your home.

St. Thomas Christmas: Love Divine

Wednesday, December 24 at 3:00 pm on WTTW
St. Thomas Christmas: Love Divine enriches the holidays by celebrating the Advent and Christmas season. Now in its 39th year, the St. Thomas Christmas concert is a winter tradition featuring familiar traditional carols and innovative contemporary selections. The celebration features nearly 270 musicians from four choirs, the string orchestra, and the Symphonic Wind Ensemble. This year's concert includes a commissioned piece by world-renowned composer James Stephenson that will unite all on stage to perform the premiere of “Love Divine.”

Holiday Handbells: The Raleigh Ringers

Thursday, December 25 at 5:00 am on WTTW
The Raleigh Ringers, an internationally acclaimed community handbell choir based in Raleigh, North Carolina, present the sequel to their critically acclaimed holiday special, One Winter Evening at Meymandi. Holiday Handbells runs the gamut of song selections from old yuletide favorites to Vince Guaraldi’s A Charlie Brown Christmas score and other sounds of the season. 

British Comedy and Drama

A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong

Thursday, November 27 at 8:00 pm on WTTW
In A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong, the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society have been blacklisted by the BBC after ruining Peter Pan. However, they are not taking their ban lying down and force themselves back on the BBC by hijacking the jewel of the Christmas schedule, a “live” production of A Christmas Carol. With a little help from Sandra’s aunt, Dame Diana Rigg (All Creatures Great and Small), the Cornley gang try to make the show work but soon realize they are completely out of their depth, with no idea how to direct a live studio or handle the special effects. Worse still, internal rivalries are revealed during the broadcast while an angry professional cast tries to get back into the studio. Special guest star Sir Derek Jacobi (Last Tango in Halifax) tries to keep up.

All Creatures Great and Small: Christmas in the Dales

Sunday, December 7 at 7:00 pm on WTTW
Celebrate the heartwarming Masterpiece series with clips and behind-the-scenes memories of its Christmas finales. Experience the kindness, empathy, and love in the magical village of Darrowby and the stunning Yorkshire Dales during the holiday season.

Call the Midwife Holiday Special Marathon

Starting Sunday, December 21 at 12:00 pm on WTTW
Catch the Call the Midwife holiday specials from 2021 to 2024 in this holiday marathon.

Call the Midwife Holiday Special 2025

Thursday, December 25 at 7:00 pm on WTTW
When senior members of the Nonnatus House staff head to Hong Kong on a mercy mission, the younger midwives are left to cope alone. As the Christmas action shifts between the sun-drenched Far East and a snowy East End, Sister Julienne suddenly finds herself excited about the Order's future. After years of battling change, she decides to embrace it, work with it, and see what love can do.