December 7: Nebraska Christmas Cookies

STORY

December 7: Nebraska Christmas Cookies

It's a Martian Holiday!

Ice-cream-loving Johnny Boy is blown away by the discovery of Christmas cookies. What a delight! There are sugar cookies and peanut butter cookies and … ham sandwich cookies? Wait a minute — did a Nebraska family member make this one? Hmmm, to be honest … it’s kind of delicious!

12 min
5+
Topics: AdventChristmasHolidays

Projects, Crafts, and Recipes for this Story

Sparkle Holiday

Printable Holiday Postcards: "It's a Martian Holiday!" Advent Activities

In each of the twenty-five stories of our newest audio Advent Calendar, "It's a Martian Holiday!", Johnny Boy writes a postcard to his friend Allison. We've got all twenty-five printable holiday postcards ready for you to download and share.

Characters in this Story

X

Suzie Q Nebraska

Johnny Boy Nebraska

It's a Martian Holiday!

December 1: The Daily Postcard Extravaganza

December 1: The Daily Postcard Extravaganza

What do Christmas, Hanukkah, and other winter holidays on earth look like through the eyes of a real-life Martian?
16 min
5+

December 21: Winter Fire is the Best Fire

December 21: Winter Fire is the Best Fire

When the Plejarens are involved, the Winter Solstice bonfire takes on a whole new meaning, size, and scope. But even with the size of the blaze, it’s hard to miss that very strange light once again...
13 min
5+

December 14: More on Santa and Flurrr

December 14: More on Santa and Flurrr

So many busy people at this time of year! Tune in for Johnny Boy’s latest discoveries about the universal desire for winter celebrations.
12 min
5+

December 9: Plejarens are Actually Fun!

December 9: Plejarens are Actually Fun!

Johnny Boy recommends Plejaren traditions for an unusual and unexpectedly moving winter holiday celebration.
12 min
5+

December 8: Santa and Four Others that are sort of like Santa

December 8: Santa and Four Others that are sort of like Santa

Hold on to your Santa hats, because you are about to discover amazing facts about Celestial beings that are (sort of) like Santa
14 min
5+

December 25: A Sort-of Christmas Miracle — Actually Three of Them

December 25: A Sort-of Christmas Miracle — Actually Three of Them

The surprises just keep on coming in Greenhorn!
23 min
5+

December 24: A Super Surprising Christmas Eve Visit and Even More Surprising Announcement

December 24: A Super Surprising Christmas Eve Visit and Even More Surprising Announcement

When Johnny Boy imagined Christmas Eve, he always had lots of questions — but he never expected to receive the visitor who shows up on their doorstep this December 24.
13 min
5+

December 23: The Absolute Best Gift

December 23: The Absolute Best Gift

Donnie Nebraska may seem a little spacey sometimes, but he was certainly paying attention when he got the idea for a spectacular family holiday gift that everyone would enjoy.
11 min
5+

December 22: My Mom's Martian Holiday

December 22: My Mom's Martian Holiday

Betty Nebraska — artist, community activist, and beloved mom to Johnny Boy — joins the podcast.
11 min
5+

December 20: Mr. Reggie and My Dad, Donnie

December 20: Mr. Reggie and My Dad, Donnie

What’s the difference between an amusement park ride and a community gift drive? Not much, we learn in this special podcast episode with Johnny Boy’s dear old Dad, Donnie Nebraska.
11 min
5+

December 19: A Greenhorn Christmas

December 19: A Greenhorn Christmas

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Greenhorn! Johnny Boy invites his sister Suzie Q on to the podcast to report on the annual town Christmas party.
10 min
5+

December 18: Martian Undusting

December 18: Martian Undusting

Johnny Boy’s robot-dog X gives a detailed description of the Martian Undusting ceremony, including the luxurious synthetic oil bath for robots and the issuance of comedy jokes.
11 min
5+

December 17: On Carols, Vloors and a Real Mystery

December 17: On Carols, Vloors and a Real Mystery

It’s Johnny Boy’s first caroling outing, and wow is it fun!
11 min
5+

December 16: Twas the Night before Ricki-ricki Reekhap

December 16: Twas the Night before Ricki-ricki Reekhap

Johnny Boy explores the rich traditions of the Sobeks’ culture, including the origin of Ricki-ricki Reekhap, the being with famously white spiky hair who brings books to the Sobeks.
11 min
5+

December 15: Dustfest a Gogo

December 15: Dustfest a Gogo

It’s finally here — the Martian holiday you’ve all been waiting for! Get ready to don your helmets and space suits and play outside in the dust! Oh, sorry ... you’re Earthlings?
10 min
5+

December 13: The Christmas Story

December 13: The Christmas Story

When Johnny Boy visits a church and watches a nativity play for the first time, his mind is blown!
13 min
5+

December 12: Johnny Boy’s Gift-Giving System

December 12: Johnny Boy’s Gift-Giving System

Johnny Boy has researched Earthling gift-giving practices and thinks we’ve missed the mark. Luckily, he’s devised a four-step system for us to follow when giving gifts this year — just listen in for the details!
14 min
5+

December 7: Nebraska Christmas Cookies

December 7: Nebraska Christmas Cookies

Ice-cream-loving Johnny Boy is blown away by the discovery of Christmas cookies. What a delight!
12 min
5+

December 11: Gifts and Goop

December 11: Gifts and Goop

As Johnny Boy pieces together our earth-bound gift-giving traditions, he compares them with X’s description of the traditional Martian exchange of … goop. But what is goop?
12 min
5+

December 10: Holiday Fair Magic

December 10: Holiday Fair Magic

A holiday fair can bring whole communities together — and the Nebraska family wants to be part of this festival
12 min
5+

December 6: Celestial Christmas Cards

December 6: Celestial Christmas Cards

After Johnny Boy gives his listeners a little recap about the Celestials in his town, we learn about a very Christmas-card-like tradition that the Sobeks practice as they write and send their annual reekhaps.
12 min
5+

December 5: Miracles, Light and Stars

December 5: Miracles, Light and Stars

IIn conversation with Sheriff Tish, Johnny Boy learns about the celebration of Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights. T
10 min
5+

December 4: On Christmas Trees and Dustalia Mushrooms

December 4: On Christmas Trees and Dustalia Mushrooms

There’s one Earth tradition that is a complete mystery to Johnny Boy: Christmas trees. Why bring the tree inside?
12 min
5+

December 3: Dusteve and letting the Dust In

December 3: Dusteve and letting the Dust In

Johnny Boy notices some parallels between Christmas Eve and Dusteve — but how similar are they really?
11 min
5+

December 2: Snow is to Earth, as Dust is to Mars

December 2: Snow is to Earth, as Dust is to Mars

Did you know that Mars is covered in dust? And did you further know that Martians hold an annual festival that celebrates the joys of this dust? Johnny Boy fills us in on his planet’s spectacular traditions and customs.
11 min
5+

Get our Newsletter

Sign up to receive weekly email updates with new stories, Sparkle news, and seasonal activities!

Stay Connected

Download on the Apple App StoreDownload on the Google Play
©2025 Sparkle Stories. All rights reserved.