Merry Christmas. This week on Curiously Caitlin, we tackle an important question that kids ask this time of year.

But we have to give a little warning. If you are listening with little ears around, they might hear some of the behind-the-scenes secrets of Santa's workshop that you might not want them to hear just yet.

But for the older kids and the grown-ups, this episode might help you appreciate Santa Claus even more.

I don't know.

That doesn't make any sense.

What?

Curiously. any sense.

Dr. Grace Hammond, thank you so much for joining me today.

Oh, I'm so excited to be here with you. Thank you for having me. This is Dr. Grace Hammond. She is an author and scholar who writes about medieval Christian faith. She is the author of

Jesus through medieval eyes, beholding Christ with the artists, mystics, and theologians of

the Middle Ages, the host of the podcast Old Books with Grace, and she has a PhD in English from Duke

University. This is a very fun Christmas episode.

So we have kind of the perfect kid question.

The kid question that's probably asked the most, maybe other ones asked after they hear

like a nativity story or something.

But on a day-to-day level, our producer at least said this is a daily question for his kids.

So it's an important one for us to address.

So let's hear our kid question today.

Is it real? It's a real.

Dr. Hedman, what is your just initial reaction to hearing that question?

My initial reaction to hearing that question is that I feel right at home

with the insistent question and the child crying in the background. I feel like this is Christmas.

...