Episode Overview

Podcast: Bill O’Reilly’s No Spin News and Analysis
Episode: O'Reilly Update Morning Edition, December 22, 2025
Host: Bill O’Reilly
Main theme: Bill O’Reilly shares a personal Christmas memory from his youth in Europe, reflecting on the unexpected turns the holiday took, and offering a heartfelt, relatable story for listeners during the holiday season.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Bill’s European Christmas Adventure (00:18–02:00)

• Setting the Scene:
  Bill O’Reilly recalls being a 21-year-old student at the University of London in 1969.
• Holiday Decision:
  Rather than returning to the US for Christmas, he decides to travel solo around continental Europe for a few weeks.
  • “Instead of going back home for Christmas, I said, you know what, I’ll take the two or three weeks and I’ll zip around the continent and see different things.”
• Alone in Vienna:
  Bill finds himself alone on Christmas Eve in Vienna, Austria; most of his fellow American students went home for the holidays.
  • “But nobody else wanted to do that. Everybody else, all the Americans studying, went home.”
• Ambitious Christmas Plan:
  His big idea is to attend midnight Mass at St. Stephen’s Cathedral, featuring the famous Vienna Boys Choir.
  • “My plan was to see the Vienna Boys Choir at the magnificent St Stephen’s Cathedral for midnight Mass. Sounds like a great plan, right? I was jazzed.”
• Turning Point – Ticket Barrier:
  Bill is surprised and disappointed to discover that entry costs a significant amount of money.
  • “I can’t get in because it like cost thousands of dollars to attend the mass to see the boys choir. I said, are you kidding me? I’m Catholic. All I want to do is go to Mass on Christmas Eve. They go now you got to pay all these marks, Austrian currency. I said, what?”
• Attempted Sneak-In:
  He tries (unsuccessfully) to sneak into the cathedral, only to encounter tight security.
  • “So I tried to sneak in and I failed. They had great security.”

2. A Lonely but Heartwarming Christmas Eve (02:01–02:30)

• Return to the Pension:
  After the failed attempt, Bill returns alone to his modest hotel.
  • “So I went back to my pension and I was alone Christmas Eve.”
• Unexpected Kindness:
  The woman running the pension offers him a simple holiday gesture.
  • “And the lady who ran the little hotel where I was gave me a nice little presentation, a cake and a candle. That was some Christmas.”
• Reflection and Well-Wishing:
  Bill reflects on the experience with humor and warmth, wishing the audience well.
  • “Hope you enjoy yours.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On being out of place and disappointed:

  “I can’t get in because it like cost thousands of dollars to attend the mass to see the boys choir. I said, are you kidding me? I’m Catholic. All I want to do is go to Mass on Christmas Eve.”
  — Bill O’Reilly, (01:08)

• On resilience and finding meaning in a simple gesture:

  “And the lady who ran the little hotel where I was gave me a nice little presentation, a cake and a candle. That was some Christmas.”
  — Bill O’Reilly, (02:25)

• On sharing the story with the audience:

  “Can I tell you a Christmas tale? This should be on the Hallmark movie schedule.”
  — Bill O’Reilly, (00:16)

• On wishing well:

  “Hope you enjoy yours.”
  — Bill O’Reilly, (02:30)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:18 – Bill introduces his Christmas story
• 00:40 – Decision to travel Europe instead of returning home
• 01:10 – Bill arrives at St. Stephen’s Cathedral, discusses costly entry
• 01:35 – Attempts (and fails) to sneak in
• 02:00 – Returns alone to his pension
• 02:20 – Receives a cake and candle from the hotel owner
• 02:30 – Concludes with a warm holiday wish

Tone and Style

Bill’s tone throughout the episode is nostalgic, candid, and warm, using humor (e.g., referencing a Hallmark movie) and self-effacing storytelling to convey both the disappointment and the unexpected kindness he experienced. The short reflection is relatable and meant to encourage listeners to appreciate whatever form their holiday might take—even if it’s far from home or "perfect."

This episode offers a brief but heartfelt reminder to cherish simple acts of kindness, especially during the holidays, and imparts a personal holiday wish from Bill O’Reilly to his audience.