Bah & the Humbugs

A Brief History of Christmas

About the Band

For many, many years — since 1985, in fact — it's been an annual tradition to celebrate the holidays with funny new songs from Bah & the Humbugs. This ragtag ensemble of musicians and songwriters delight in poking fun at every Christmas icon and tradition and every aspect of the holiday season. Beloved figures of folklore, respected political personages, even tasty holiday treats have all been targets of the Humbugs' satirical wit. With catchy melodies and herds of genetically modified, glow-in-the-dark reindeer, Bah & the Humbugs keep things unnaturally merry and disturbingly bright all through the holiday season.

The members of Bah & the Humbugs are Rick Aster, Amy Guskin, Michael Hollinger, Vance Lehmkuhl, Paul Nordquist, Paul V. Patanella, and Gayden Wren. You can follow Bah & the Humbugs on Facebook and Twitter.

Since 2001, Bah & the Humbugs have donated their entire revenue from album sales to the United Nations World Food Program for hunger relief around the world. Read the band's statement on why they support the WFP and how you can help.

Bah & the Humbugs vow to carry on their musical mayhem until the 'X' is back in Xmas and the world's supply of coal is depleted.

Christmas Songs

In the spirit of the season, Bah & the Humbugs have made several of their songs available as free MP3 downloads, and are continually adding more. For quick access to all of the free songs, visit Stuff Your Stocking, the music download page.

Over the years Bah & the Humbugs have premiered more than 150 new Christmas songs. See the Complete Song List for all titles.

History & Discography

2022: The 2022 Christmas Eve podcast is the 18th annual episode from Bah & the Humbugs. In Christmastime Story Hour, we invite you to sit back with your wassail generously spiked, and the Yule log burning, and listen to this timeless tale of what happens when a boss tries to cancel Christmas vacation. Includes the new Humbugs songs "Your Christmas Star" and "Boss of Christmas," and Humbugs classics "Christmas Bonus" and "Perry T. Partridge (The Christmas Detective)."


2021: The 2021 Christmas Eve podcast is the 17th annual episode from Bah & the Humbugs. In North Pole Supply Chain Gang, Santa Claus’s workshop management team struggles to deliver a normal Christmas in the face of extraordinary supply chain issues. Includes the new Humbugs songs "Red-Nose Heroes" and "Sleigh Riders," and Humbugs classics "Snow Day," "My Psychic Reindeer," and "The Elves are Restless."


2020: The 2020 Christmas Eve podcast is the 16th annual episode from Bah & the Humbugs. The Show Must Not Go On tells the tale of production elves looking for a way to keep their Christmastravaganza alive in the face of pandemic restrictions. Includes three new songs: "Christmas 2020," "Pantry Clause," and "Ornamental."


2019: The 2019 Christmas Eve podcast marks the Humbugs' 15th annual episode! Christmas KickFunder punches up your season with artisan coffee, money, and devious elf-layed plans! Includes two new songs: "Kickfund My Christmas" and "Turkey." A third song, "Bang the Yule Gong", was released as a single, separate from the podcast.


2018: The 2018 Christmas Eve podcast, Supernatural Tales of Magic: Scrooge and The Magic White Pumpkin, serves as a cautionary tale to be careful what you wish for. Grouchy industrialist Ebenezer Scrooge wishes away an entire season!


2017: The 2017 Christmas Eve podcast, As Seen on North Pole TV, ponders the evil side of the smart appliances you might be thinking of gifting this Christmas. New single, 80s dance-influenced "Dark Matter," is featured.


2016: The twelfth annual Christmas Eve podcast by Bah & the Humbugs exposes the truth behind Yuletide surveillance with North Polar whistleblower Edward Snowman. New single, retro-ballad "Man in the Christmas Moon," is featured.


2015: The Humbugs release three new songs, plus a premier recording of a classic, for their eleventh annual Christmas Eve podcast. Saint Nick Comes to Philly chronicles the tale of the historic, traffic-halting, nightmare-inducing visit of a beloved religious figure — Santa Claus — to the City of Brotherly Love.


2014: The Humbugs release two new songs as part of their tenth annual Christmas Eve podcast, in which they take a look at a fundraiser for the Crackernuts School of Christmas. The school splurged on a brand new sports arena made entirely of glass — the million-dollar Snow Globe — and now they have to pay for it.


2013: The Humbugs post their ninth annual Christmas Eve podcast, and pay tribute to XPN's Robert Drake celebrating the 20th year of his 24-hour Christmas Eve music marathon, The Night Before on XPN,.


2012: The Humbugs deliver their eighth annual Christmas Eve podcast, in which three strangers on separate quests happen to cross paths on Christmas Eve 2012.


2011: The Humbugs post their seventh annual Christmas Eve podcast, in which the Arctic Circle's #1 morning radio show, The Merry Morning Menagerie with Stormin' Snoman on KPLR 90.0 'The Polar,', asks listeners to call in with their Christmas questions for experts visiting in the studio.


2010: The Humbugs deliver their sixth annual Christmas Eve podcast. Everyone's favorite Christmas reality show ("Help! I Have A Celebrity Babysitter on Christmas!") decks the halls on Christmas Eve when veteran rock star Phizzy Parker babysits for an ordinary American family.


2009: The Humbugs post their fifth annual Christmas Eve podcast, and play a live radio concert on WXPN's Christmas Eve show, "The Night Before."


2008: The Humbugs deliver their fourth annual Christmas Eve podcast, "Yetis of Yuletide," in which an amateur backyard astronomer lives next door to the biggest Christmas light show in the country.


2007: The Humbugs release The 12 Symptoms of Christmas, a new CD with twelve original, irreverent Christmas classics. Fans were also able to tune in to the band's third annual Christmas Eve podcast.


2006: The Humbugs release A Very Commercial Christmas, an hour-long blizzard of Christmas commercials presented by all-commercial radio station WCOMMERCIAL, and their second annual Christmas Eve podcast.


2005: The Humbugs release ReGifted, a celebration of twenty years of Humbugian cheer, featuring twelve classic Humbugs songs newly remastered with a fresh coat of snow in their state-of-the-art North Pole studio. Also, the first annual Humbugs podcast, A Christmas Eve Spooktacular featuring the Tale of Dr. Frankincense appears on iTunes and on RSS feeds everywhere.


2004: The Humbugs record the politically-themed album Fahrenheit 12/25 (archived Fahrenheit 12/25 website - lyrics).


2003: The Humbugs record the mini-musical, "Jolly Roger the Christmas Pirate" as part of the album Another Christmas Ruined, and perform live at Philadelphia's Prince Music Theater.


2002: The Humbugs release Christmas Tree from Hell and appear live on CNN's Sunday Night, hosted by Carol Lin. Carol interviews the band, and they performed portions of several Humbugs Christmas classics.


2001: The Humbugs reunite on the two-thousandth anniversary of the very first Christmas to release Merry Christmas from Bah & the Humbugs, containing seven tracks — a mix of old and new favorites.


1998: The Humbugs release the single "Santa/Monica" and appear at Philadelphia's landmark club, The Point, as part of its grand reopening season.


1996: The Humbugs release "Cleanup Crew" as a single and perform at the grand opening bash of Philadelphia's The Hut.


1995: The Humbugs perform at The Actor's Centre in Philadelphia and release the live album Humbugs Bootleg.


1994: The Humbugs release "Christmas Without You" as a single, and Tonya Harding was stripped of her National Figure Skating Championship title after the unsportsmanlike attack on her rival, Nancy Kerrigan.


1991: The Humbugs release their second studio album, Merry Christmas or Else, in the same year that the Super Nintendo Entertainment System hit the US toy stores.


1989: The Humbugs release a live album, Original Instruments, playing only authentic period instruments. Coincidentally, in that same year, the global concentration of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere reaches 350 ppm by volume.


1987: The first Humbugs live album, 12/19/87, is released, following close on the heels of the discovery and naming of the pentaquark by Harry J. Lipkin.


1985: On a whim, Vance Lehmkuhl and Paul Nordquist round up their friends and put together Bah & the Humbugs debut album, 12/25/01, as a joke gift for their friends and family. In a completely unrelated development, President Ronald Reagan takes oath for second term as 40th United States President.