Episodes

In today's Season 2 finale, we talk all about Saturnalia! In Part 1 of this series we discussed Kronia, the precursor to Saturnalia. Now we are going to discuss the famous pre-Christmas celebration that gets a lot of credit for many traditions still used today. And not without good reason too, as Saturnalia has a very interesting history. Learn about this Roman festival and discover some things you might not have known! Lastly, we end the episode with the exciting conclusion to Santa Claus versu...

Did you know that before the world celebrated Christmas that there were other winter celebrations? Of course you did (especially if you listen to this podcast!). Saturnalia gets much of the attention, and for good reason, but today we are going to go way back BEFORE Saturnalia and we'll explore Kronia, Shab-e Yalda, Zagmuk and more. Learn all about some patterns and traditions that have stood the test of time! At the end of the episode we have a much requested story from The Lost Years of Santa ...

We have a very special guest today: Dr. Emily Zarka of Arizona State University and PBS Digital Studios Monstrum! We talk about monsters at Christmas, the history of monsters, the abundance of mythos at Christmastime and so much more. Be sure to check out her show and enjoy hearing all about the monstrous Christmas world!

Edit: As requested, no more background music! Thank you guys for the feedback, it's always welcome!

Links:

Monstrum
Ana and the Apocalypse
Krampus episode of Monstrum
Yuleti...

This episode brings a boat-load of information about current traditions around using the Nativity - both living Nativity and artistic representations. I dive briefly into the origins of the use of the Nativity around Christmas, and then we take a look at the real history and some misconceptions around the birth of Jesus. At the end of the episode we read through part 2 of our story from The Lost Years of Santa Claus, and I announce the winner of the first annual Lost Christmas Giveaway! Over 160...

In this episode you'll hear my very specific, hard-fast rules for determining if a movie is indeed a Christmas movie. As a much requested piece, I've included my rules and scoring system so you can determine whether or not a movie is a Christmas movie. Stir the pot, bring on the controversy!

At the end of the episode, we start a new story from The Lost Years of Santa Claus, and as a special "thank you" to all of the listeners, I've got the first giveaway in the history of this little podcast. L...

In this post-Thanskgiving episode we discuss the history and evolution of wassail, from a story of lovers to feeding trees a slice of bread and all the drinking in between. Plenty to dive into and discuss as we uncover the history behind this famous expression and wintertime beverage. At the end of this episode we also conclude the story of why Santa Claus looks different all around the world, with part 3 of this story from The Lost Years of Santa Claus.

Links:

Classic wassail recipe
Holly Jol...

In this episode we dive into the person that was Saint Nicholas of Myra. There's plenty to go around with stories, myths, fantasy, and real history. We talk about the day we celebrate St. Nicholas and a few traditions around the world, and finally we conclude the episode with part 2 of how Santa Claus looks different all over the world from The Lost Years of Santa Claus. Enjoy!

Special thanks to:

The Christmas Song/Heaven/Slow 3/4 Song by Peter Evans, Tom Blancarte, and Brandon Seabrook - CC b...

In this episode, we dive into the ins and outs of Christmas mysteries. Starting off, we have some unanswered questions from Christmas movies that surely you've been wanting to hear an answer for, then we dive into a couple of real-life mysteries around the Christmas season. Finally, we have my personal recommendations for some Christmas mystery movies, a TV episode, and several books for you to enjoy this holiday season! At the end of the episode, we kick off a new story from The Lost Years of S...

Today we go over a short list of must-see foreign holiday films. These films take us to Mexico, from France to Finland, and to Japan and South Korea, circling the globe to provide some holiday hits to brighten up your Christmas season. Finally, we cap off this episode with part 3 of Santa and his Sleigh from The Lost Years of Santa Claus.

Special thanks to:

The Christmas Song/Heaven/Slow 3/4 Song by Peter Evans, Tom Blancarte, and Brandon Seabrook - CC by 3.0

Santa Claw11010s is Coming by Erg...