One of many in a series of annual Christmas lectures given by Bassam Z. Shakhashiri, a Lebanese chemistry educator who spent most of his career at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The video of the 1987 demonstrations includes the pH of common kitchen and household products, sublimation of carbon dioxide (dry ice), combustion, the Briggs–Rauscher oscillating reaction, creating polyurethane foam, chemiluminescence, and superconductivity.

Special guests include Bucky, the University of Wisconsin mascot and Santa Claus. University of Wisconsin Plant Pathology professor Paul Williams talks about plant biology and ecology and teaches attendees to make an ecocolumn terrarium. UW Physics professor Clint Sprott demonstrates physics principles using soap bubbles and sound waves. And UW Chemistry professor Fred Juergens repeats his musical salute to chemistry and Christmas. This video was taken from a DVD, which itself was made from an unknown magnetic tape. Any distortions in the image and sound of the video are inherent in the DVD itself.