It’s a Hard Forkin’ Christmas!

Kevin Roose and Casey Newton bring a tech‑themed twist to the classic carol

In a festive departure from the usual interview format, the hosts of the Hard Fork podcast, Kevin Roose and Casey Newton, surprised listeners with an original rendition of “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” The duo rewrote the lyrics to celebrate the quirks of the tech world, turning the traditional verses into a tongue‑in‑cheek ode to gadgets, startups, and code.

The performance was recorded for the podcast’s holiday special, and the pair sang in a playful, slightly off‑key harmony that only added to the charm. Highlights of the new version include lines like “On the first day of Christmas, my startup gave to me… a server that never sleeps” and “Five golden APIs, four cloud‑based servers, three AI bots, two crypto‑coins, and a blockchain ledger.”

Listeners responded with a flood of social‑media reactions, praising the hosts for their creativity and humor. Many fans shared screenshots of the lyrics, while others joked about adding “a dozen bug‑fixes” to the final verse.

“We wanted to give our audience something fun and recognizably ‘Hard Fork,’” Newton said in the episode’s post‑show chat. “It’s a reminder that even the most serious tech conversations can use a little holiday cheer.”

As the episode wrapped, Roose added, “If you’re looking for a soundtrack to your holiday hackathon, this is it.” The song is now available on all major streaming platforms as part of the podcast’s holiday playlist.