Christmas countdown day 3: dragons and nativity

Is your nativity missing a dragon?

Julie Canlis

Julie connects Christian spirituality with ordinary life in Wenatchee, Washington State, where she teaches and writes.

The head of a giant paper dragon glows orange and red against a night sky.

Oliver Needham on Unsplash.

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The Christmas Countdown

It’s the season to be jolly, stressed, and all round Christmassy. On the Seen & Unseen Aloud podcast, we’re here for you with our Aloud Christmas Countdown!

Every day in December, we’ll drop some of the best seasonal content from Seen & Unseen Aloud. From how to survive Christmas, reviews of the best Christmas movies and the origin story of Santa Claus.

For when you’ve got your hands full of mince pies and baubles, but you still want to hear some thoughtful content, subscribe to Seen & Unseen Aloud for the Christmas Countdown.

Subscribe to the podcast on Apple, Spotify, or Amazon.

Throughout the year, the Seen & Unseen Aloud brings you’ the week’s best articles in a short 20 minute podcast episode. Browse the index for episodes from Seen & Unseen Aloud, Re-enchanting and GodPod.

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Seen & Unseen Aloud

30 June 2025

1 min read

Prisons, spotless minds and more

New episodes: prison's impact on families, The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and a culture of death.

Nick Jones

Nick is the senior editor of Seen & Unseen.

Female prisoners hug their children who have climbed across a table to them.

Prisoners hug their children during a visit.

PFI.org.

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About this episode

This week, Daniel Bey shares with us four things he's learnt from working with prisoners. Beatrice Scudeler has discovered Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind 20 years on and unearths helpful wisdom for her own trauma. Graham Tomlin asks what will stop the culture of death that libertarian Britain has embraced?

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Do so by joining Behind The Seen. Alongside other benefits, you’ll receive an extra fortnightly email from me sharing my reading and reflections on the ideas that are shaping our times.

Graham Tomlin
Editor-in-Chief

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