Shows
Weird Christmas Podcast2024 Weird Christmas Flash Fiction Contest/Anthology Results Show2024 Weird Christmas Flash Fiction Contest Winners:
Weird Card Winner: “The Study of Owls and the Christmas Contronyms” by Daniel Roop
Unreal Holiday Celebration Winner: “The Mycelial Muffinheads’ Annual Pilgrimage to the Cave of Forget-Me-Nothings” by C.L. Sidell
Stocking Stuffer Winner: “All Eves for the Yule” by A.S. Hahrwort
All the stories: (in no special order other than appearance on the show):
“Nativity” by John Nicol
“The Sadly Beautiful Life Cycle of the Mrs. Claus” by Nicoletta Giuseffi
“Rudolpha” by Nicholas De Marino
“Countdown to Christmas” by John Wolf
“Keepers of the Fruitcake” by Carla Rudy
“...
2025-01-071h 26
Girls Gone Book ClubbinHow My Neighbor Stole ChristmasEvery Kringle in Kringletown celebrated Christmas a lot.But Cole Black on Whistler Lane, unfortunately, did not.As his fellow citizens decorate their quaint town, brimming with carols and glad tidings, Cole wants nothing more than to hibernate the winter away. But his dreary plans are thwarted when his Christmas nemesis, Storee Taylor, moves in next door to care for her Aunt Cindy. Immediately, the new neighbor turns his life into a real nightmare before Christmas, especially when she decides to enter the town Christmas Kringle contest in honor of Cindy. And better yet, Storee...
2024-12-1849 minWeird Christmas Podcast2023 Weird Christmas Flash Fiction Contest Results ShowPlease see WeirdChristmas.com for text and info on all the stories and writers.
2023-12-311h 32
OverdueEp 625 - Her Night With Santa, by Adriana HerreraYou can't spell Horny without Ho(-Ho-Ho)! In this year's Happy Hornydays celebration, one of the people finding love during the holiday season is Santa herself. That's right, this is an F/F steamy short featuring a gender-swapped Kristina Kringle and the niece (???) of Melchior (????) the Magi (?????). Sadly, the extremely promising lore goes somewhat underexplored. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/overdue and get on your way to being your best self.Our theme music was composed by Nick Lerangis.Advertise on OverdueSee...
2023-12-251h 06Weird Christmas PodcastNisser and Tomtar (Scandinavian Elves) with Benito CerenoCraig talks with the ever knowledgeable and jolly Benito Cereno about Scandinavian elves, which you're starting to see more and more places in decorations and movies. All links mentioned on the show, along with info on Benito, can be found at WeirdChristmas.com at this link:
https://weirdchristmas.com/2023/12/23/nisser-and-tomtar-scandinavian-elves-with-benito-cereno/
If you’re feeling generous, you can leave a donation at Ko-Fi.com. It’s probably Christmas-time (ish) when you’re reading this, so remember the spirit of the season is giving. And I’m trying not to turn on the guilt machine, but I would lik...
2023-12-2350 min
House of BobEveryone is Santa Chapter 02 [Everyone is John]"The Worst Christmas of My Entire Career"DOMINATION!Episode Artwork by @CosmicAmazingHouse of Bob Cover Artwork by @ShaunMakesAudio Production by Astronomic AudioFeaturing:Cristina as The GMAlex as Santa the JollyJake as SinterklaasJosh as Kris Kringle—Need More Bob in Your Life? Check out our other (SFW!) podcast, Tales of Bob
Apple Podcasts
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—Support the Show:
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Contact Us:
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TheHouseOfBob.org
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2023-12-0450 min
House of BobEveryone is Santa Chapter 01 [Everyone is John]"Roll for Cookie” In this Everyone is John holiday one shot, three aspects of Santa must compete to become the one true Santa Claus.Episode Artwork by @CosmicAmazingHouse of Bob Cover Artwork by @ShaunMakesAudio Production by Astronomic AudioFeaturing:Cristina as The GMAlex as Santa the JollyJake as SinterklaasJosh as Kris Kringle—Need More Bob in Your Life? Check out our other (SFW!) podcast, Tales of Bob
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
—Support the Show:
2023-11-2048 minWeird Christmas Podcast2022 Weird Christmas Flash Fiction Contest (5th Annual Results Show)The best show of the year: 19 stories of Christmas Weirdness from the annual Weird Christmas Flash Fiction Contest. Please visit WeirdChristmas.com to get information on the authors and to read the stories again.
If you want to support the contest and help make more and bigger prizes for the writers next year, please visit Ko-Fi.com/weirdchristmas to donate any amount.
2022-12-311h 15Weird Christmas PodcastAncient Christmas with Earl Fontainelle of the SHWEPI talk to Earl Fontainelle of the SHWEP (Secret History of Western Esotericism Podcast). We try to trace down any textual evidence that would connect the origins of Christmas to ancient pagan sources, namely the Mithras cult and Emperor Constantine’s Sol Invictus cult.
Listen here, on your favorite podcast app, or at the Podbean site.
The SHWEP
The SHWEP Oddcast
Music:
"Scriaben Christmas Time is Here" by Kurt Knecht
"Christmas is a Pagan Holiday" by Matt Potako
If you’re...
2022-12-241h 32Weird Christmas PodcastMari Lwyd with Benito CerenoBenito and I discuss the traditions surrounding the Mari Lwyd, getting into similarities with other European wassailing and hobby horse traditions.
A recording of the Mari Lwyd rhyme in action by the BBC.
Benito's Links:
Benito’s Christmas history videos
Benito’s writing at Gumroad
Apocrypals podcast
Friends ‘Till the End podcast
Progressively Horrified
Music:
"Here Comes the Mari Lwyd" by The Eugenes
"Mari Lwyd" by Colorama
If you’re feeling generous, you can leave a donation at Ko-Fi.com. It’s probably Christmas-time (ish) when you’re reading this, so remember the spir...
2022-12-1957 min
Ghostly Talk PodcastEp 188 - Craig Kringle | Weird ChristmasYes, sending Christmas cards of dead birds was a thing the Victorians did. We discuss this kind of Christmas strangeness and so much more with Craig Kringle, the creator of Weird Christmas. Learn more about Christmas and holiday weirdness with Craig's podcast "Weird Christmas."
Bio
Craig started collecting vintage Victorian Christmas cards years ago and sharing them with friends online, and the whole thing exploded. This site began with a Tumblr blog, but there were stories to tell about those images, and Tumblr’s not the best for text. Craig decided he didn’t enjoy having free time, so he star...
2022-12-131h 00
Ghostly Talk PodcastEp 188 - Craig Kringle | Weird ChristmasYes, sending Christmas cards of dead birds was a thing the Victorians did. We discuss this kind of Christmas strangeness and so much more with Craig Kringle, the creator of Weird Christmas. Learn more about Christmas and holiday weirdness with Craig's podcast "Weird Christmas."
Bio
Craig started collecting vintage Victorian Christmas cards years ago and sharing them with friends online, and the whole thing exploded. This site began with a Tumblr blog, but there were stories to tell about those images, and Tumblr’s not the best for text. Craig decided he didn’t enjoy having free time, so he star...
2022-12-131h 00
MFM SPEAKS OUTEP 43: Hubert Howe on Finding Your Own Voice"You have to take yourself seriously and find your own voice."Our guest for this episode of MFM Speaks Out is Hubert Howe. Hubert Howe grew up in Los Angeles, California, where he began his musical studies as an oboist. He was educated at Princeton University, studied with J.K. Randall, Godfrey Winham, and Milton Babbitt, and received the A.B., M.F.A. and Ph.D.. He was one of the first researchers in computer music, and became Professor of Music and Director of the Electronic Music studios at Queens College in New York, where he was...
2022-10-281h 39Weird Christmas PodcastThe Ghost Story of Christmas 2021ish ”A Strange Christmas Game” by Charlotte RiddellSURPRISE CHRISTMAS IN JULY PODCAST!
I never quite got this show finished during the season, so my humble apologies. All is now well.
Thank you to Meghan Arcuri for talking to me about Charlotte Riddell! Her collection of Riddell’s stories will be out very soon. And here are some links to her work, which I encourage everyone to check out:
A Little Purple Book of Sharp Wit by Charlotte Riddel, ed. Meghan Arcuri
Arcuri’s stories:
“Because You’re Mine”
“Green with Hunger”
“Am I Missing the Sunlight” in Borderlands 7
Her bio: Meghan Arcuri is a Bram Stoke...
2022-08-0158 min
Totally Rad Christmas!Minisode 3: Recasting "Elf" with '80s ActorsWhat's up, dudes? While I'm preparing for the Raddies--there are a lot of limos to rent, flights to book, seating to arrange, etc.--I decided to release a couple of minisodes! First comes some mail from S.D. Kluger's mailbag for Rad Santa. After that, you voted, and your votes were heard! With the help of a few of my Christmas podcast friends and colleagues, I compiled THE DEFINITIVE '80s recast of the the beloved holiday classic "Elf", starring Will Farrell. If you don't agree with this list, well you're wrong. Just kidding. There were a ton of...
2022-04-0420 minWeird Christmas PodcastChristmas Past, American Xmas Literary History with Thomas Ruys SmithI chat with Thomas Ruys Smith, editor of Christmas Past: An Anthology of Seasonal Stories from Nineteenth Century America and Professor of American Literature and Culture at the University of East Anglia.
Links from the show:
Christmas Past: An Anthology of Seasonal Stories from Nineteenth Century America [publisher] [Amazon]
Thomas Ruys Smith's author website
Bumper music:
Usual opening: “O Holy Night” by Tiny Tim, “Christmas Doesn’t Last” by Make Like Monkeys, “Santa Claus Boogie” by Hasil Adkins, “Space Age Santa” by Ross Christman
Featured opening/bumper: "Christmas Past" by Holodelic
Bumper/closing: "American Christmas" by Chris Dudley
...
2022-01-1054 minWeird Christmas Podcast2021 Weird Christmas Flash Fiction Contest (4th Annual Results Show)It’s out later than I would have preferred, but like the inevitability of New Year’s following Christmas, it is here.
To read the stories, get bio information and links on the authors, and for all other show notes, please check out WeirdChristmas.com.
Results:
Overall Winner: “The Fight” by Elizabeth Guilt
“Weird Cards” Category Winner: “If the Suit Fits” by Michelle Christophorou
“There Was a Man Dwelt by a Churchyard” Category Winner: “A Churchyard Carol” by Dan Fields
“Stocking Stuffer” Category Winner: “The Power of Presents and Spidersilk” by Daniel Ausema
Honorable Mention (in no particu...
2022-01-031h 28Weird Christmas PodcastGhost Stories, Weird Poetry, and All Manner of Old Xmas Weirdness with Christopher PhilippoTalking with Christopher Philippo, editor of Volumes 4 and 5 of the Valancourt Book of Victorian Christmas Ghost Stories.
Chris' Goodreads site
Valancourt Book of Victorian Christmas Ghost Stories, Volume 4 (the American stories) [Amazon]
Valancourt Book of Victorian Christmas Ghost Stories, Volume 5 [Amazon]
Links to the poems and other goodies from the show are at WeirdChristmas.com.
If you’re feeling generous, check out my Patreon page here where you can get all kinds of bonuses throughout the year. You can also buy me a “coffee” ($3 gifts) at Ko-Fi.com.
Or PLEASE LEAVE A WEIRD REVIEW ON...
2021-12-2155 min
WheezyNews PodcastWe Actually Watched MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET!We finally did it! We watched 20 Christmas movies! This time it’s the classic classic claaaaaassic MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET_________________MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET (1947) synopsis from Rotten Tomatoes:In this Christmas classic, an old man going by the name of Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn) fills in for an intoxicated Santa in Macy's annual Thanksgiving Day parade. Kringle proves to be such a hit that he is soon appearing regularly at the chain's main store in midtown Manhattan. When Kringle surprises customers and employees alike by claiming that he really is Santa Claus, it le...
2021-12-1221 minWeird Christmas PodcastThe Perchten with Al Ridenour
Al Ridenour is back after talking to us last year about Krampus, but this time to help unpack the lore and traditions around the Perchten, Krampus-esque goblin-ish creatures tied to both Krampus and Frau Perchta.
Links mentioned on the episode:
Bone and Sickle Podcast
Ep. 80 "America and the Old, Dark Christmas"
Ep. 58 "The Hellish Harlequin: Phantom Hordes to Father Christmas"
Ep. 38 "Frau Perchta the Belly-Slitter"
Ep. 17 "Christmas Ghosts"
Ep. 15 "Saint, Devil, Sugar-Bread, & Whip: Krampus and Nicholas"
Al Ridenour's page
Book The Krampus and the Old, Dark Christmas by Al Ridenour...
2021-12-0950 minWeird Christmas PodcastChristmas Murder Ballads with James WynnHappy Thanksgiving! We dive deep into the history of Christmas murder ballads with my friend (and cohost from the ReReading Wolfe Podcast) James Wynn.
I'll get links to all the songs from the episode up here shortly. But for now, here are links for James:
ReReading Wolfe Podcast
RRW on Twitter
Our Xmas episodes of RRWolfe: 2020 (we discuss 3 stories), 2019 (we read one story)
Bumper music:
Usual opening: "O Holy Night" by Tiny Tim, "Christmas Doesn't Last" by Make Like Monkeys, "Santa Claus Boogie" by Hasil Adkins, "...
2021-11-251h 05Weird Christmas PodcastChristmas Witches with Benito CerenoLa Befana, Perchta, Holda, and so many more! We chat with the always encyclopedic Benito Cereno about all the Christmas witch folklore in Christmas history.
Links:
Benito's Christmas history videos
Benito's writing at Gumroad
Apocrypals podcast
Friends 'Till the End podcast
Progressively Horrified
Music:
"La Befana" by Make Like Monkeys
"Perchta" by The Champagne Drops
"Christmas Witch" by ChatterBox
"The Christmas Witch" by CountD
If you’re feeling generous, check out my Patreon page here where you can get all kinds of bonuses throughout the year. Yo...
2021-11-151h 21
Season's Eatings podcastSeason's Eatings - TourtiereThe meat pie served in Quebec, Canada's predominately French speaking population, is a dish rich with history, cultural pride, and some word play. In this episode, we're exploring the history and origins of this flaky, savoury pastry: the tourtiere. Weird Christmas Foods with Craig Kringle Season's Eatings Media links Website: https://www.seasonseatingspodcast.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seasonseatingspodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seasonseatingspod Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/seasonseatpod Email: seasonseatingspodcast@gmail.com Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/seasonseatings ...
2021-08-2522 minWeird Christmas Podcast2020 Weird Christmas Flash Fiction Contest Results ShowFull text of all the winners are at WeirdChristmas.com along with bios, information, and links for all the authors.
All fiction copyright 2020 by the authors.
Please visit WeirdChristmas.com for full information.
2020-12-231h 06The Gnostic Wisdom NetworkAn Arthurian Christmas w/ Benito Cereno & Craig Kringle
Christmas experts Benito Cereno and Craig Kringle join Deacon Jon and special guest host Jason Mehmel to explore the connections between Christmas and the mythos of King Arthur. We also talk alot about the meaning and the magic of the season as well as the darker aspects of the Xmas Season. Check out the podcast Benito cohosts, Apocrypals, at https://apocrypals.libsyn.com/ and check out his Christmas ebooks at https://gumroad.com/benitocereno Craig is the creator of WeirdChristmas.com and hosts the podcast of the samen ame, give yourself an early Xmas present...
2020-12-2200 min
Talk GnosisAn Arthurian Christmas w/ Benito Cereno & Craig Kringle
Christmas experts Benito Cereno and Craig Kringle join Deacon Jon and special guest host Jason Mehmel to explore the connections between Christmas and the mythos of King Arthur. We also talk alot about the meaning and the magic of the season as well as the darker aspects of the Xmas Season. Check out the podcast Benito cohosts, Apocrypals, at https://apocrypals.libsyn.com/ and check out his Christmas ebooks at https://gumroad.com/benitocereno Craig is the creator of WeirdChristmas.com and hosts the podcast of the samen ame, give yourself an early Xmas present...
2020-12-2200 minWeird Christmas PodcastPhilosophy, Christmas, and Does Santa Exist by Eric Linus Kaplan who wrote Big Bang Theory which I mentioned here totally for clicksSometimes when you have a podcast, you talk to people who interest you and you don’t worry so much about how it relates to the show or your topic or what your hard-won audience really cares about. So you put out a show that’s all about really, really narrow interests you have. This is half that. The other half is about an amazing book about whether or not you should believe in Santa.
Links from the show:
Does Santa Exist: A Philosophical Investigation (buy on Amazon)
Eric’s blog
Eric’s Wikipedia page…because that’s cool...
2020-12-2154 minWeird Christmas PodcastThe Ghost Story of Christmas 2020 "Between the Lights" by EF Benson“…And scary ghost stories of Christmasses long, long ago!”
Ghost stories from previous years if you’re in a spooky mood: 2019, 2018, 2017
Next year, we should break open this boys’ club with a tale from this…
Links from the show:
Full text of the story, “Between the Lights”
A bit about Benson
Valancourt Book of Victorian Christmas Ghost Stories, Vol. 4 by Christopher Philippo.
Our narrators this year:
Christohper Stanley (@allthosestrings, author of The Lamppost Huggers which has a a couple Xmas ghost stories of its own)
Kitty Pereira (@itskittypereira)
Sean from Xmas Podcasts Podcast
Jim...
2020-12-1542 min
Mt. Rushmore PodcastMt. Rushmore of Weird Things About Christmas (w/ Craig Brewer of Weird Christmas)Listen, we all love Christmas, but even the most hardcore enthusiasts have to admit that it can be a little bit weird sometimes. This week we're diving head-first into the oddities of the holidays with a very knowledgable guest: Craig Brewer, aka Craig Kringle of the Weird Christmas website and podcast. Make sure you check him out at www.weridchristmas.com for great stories, bizarre holiday cards and more. SHOW NOTES Christmas mushrooms (Craig's Choice) Christmas songs by current bands (Michael and Richard's Choice) Strange Christmas cards (Craig's Choice) Sinterklaus (Michael and Richard's Choice) Poop (Craig's...
2020-12-101h 12Weird Christmas PodcastWeird Christmas Food with Glen Warren of the Season's Eatings Podcast
Time to destroy your appetite! I talk to Glen Warren from the Season's Eatings Podcast about weird Christmas food throughout history.
Links:
Season's Eatings Podcast
List of Christmas Podcasts (from Brian Earl's Christmas Past)
Holly Jolly Xmasu (Japanese Christmas music podcast)
Totally Rad Christmas ("Rudolph's Shiny New Year" episode with me)
The Lamppost Huggers by Christopher Stanley (some Christmas horror stories)
Valancourt Book of Victorian Christmas Ghost Stories, vol 4 edited by Christopher Philippo
Music in this episode:
"Christmas Food" by Idito the Chicken and...
2020-12-0447 min
Total Christmas PodcastEpisode 18 - Return of the Christmas Movie QuizIt's Episode 18, and this one is actually over an hour long. Who'd have thought we'd have enough exciting stuff to fill an hour? Well we don't it's about 3 minutes of gold and the rest is drivel, but don't let that stop you.The present suggestion is to adopt an animal on behalf of someone. They'll get a pack of pictures and stuff and usually you get the chance to visit the zoo or sanctuary for free, plus it's helping a good cause.Because it's Christmas, why not adopt a reindeer. Here's a link to the Cairngorm Rein...
2020-11-291h 07Weird Christmas PodcastSanta is NOT St Nick - Tom Jerman and Santa Claus Worldwide
As a Thanksgiving treat, enjoy a deep dive down the rabbit hole of Santa history with Tom Jerman, author of Santa Claus Worldwide: A History of St. Nicholas and Other Holiday Gift-Bringers. This is my favorite book of Santa history, and Tom and I covered a lot of ground.
Links mentioned in the show:
Buy the book!
From Amazon
From McFarland Publishers
Tom's new website A Collection of Santas with new blog posts summarizing topics in Santa history and other treats.
Books mentioned:
The Children's Friend (1821)
Irving's Knickerbocker's History of...
2020-11-261h 40Weird Christmas PodcastMumblecore Christmas with Stefanie Davis about her film The Christmas Ride
I'm not usually your go-to source for new movies. But this one is worth your time. The Christmas Ride is a mumblecore (improvised dialogue) film about a ride share driver getting an emotional gut punch on Christmas day. I talked to the producer/director Stefanie Davis, and I hope you'll check it out.
Here's the trailer for a taste:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y45euwomp9g&t
You can stream it from Amazon (free with Prime) and Vimeo:
Stream from Amazon Prime
Watch on...
2020-11-1733 minWeird Christmas PodcastKrampus with Al RidenourKrampus. Seems like I should have done a show on Krampus years ago, but I was waiting for the right person. And that person is Al Ridenour, author of The Krampus and the Old, Dark Christmas: Roots and Rebirth of the Folkloric Devil. This is the definitive book on Krampus, and Al fills us in on all the history and celebrations we could want.
Links mentioned in the show:
The book: The Krampus and the Old, Dark Christmas
Bone & Sickle (Al's podcast)
The Krampus episode (Saint, Devil, Sugar-Bread & Whip)
Music:
Carol of the Krampus...
2020-10-311h 16
Weird Christmas PodcastChristmas Werewolves with Benito CerenoChristmas werewolves are a thing. I mean, I don't know if they're REAL real. But people really used to believe they were a thing. So Christmas expert Benito Cereno fills us in on their history
Benito's been on the show before, talking about Christmas comics and the Yule Lads.
Links mentioned in the show:
Benito's werewolf Christmas story, "Two Gifts"
Benito's YouTube channel
Lives of St. Barbara and St. Nicholas
Celebrating St. Nicholas Around the World
and more...
Apocrypals podcast
Benito's site
Bone & Sickle Podcast (episode 30: Loup-Garou, Werewolves in France)
Music this episode:
2020-10-1543 minWeird Christmas PodcastHalloween Postcard Collecting with Eric HintonThe first podcast episode of the 2020 {shiver} season. We do a bit of deep diving into the world of Halloween postcard collecting which, if you follow me on social media, you know is a small obsession of mine. Eric Hinton runs Halloween Postcards and has collected all, yes, ALL of the Halloween postcards printed before World War 2. We wander around some of the stranger examples and figure out what goes on in the musty corners of our collector-type-brains.
This episode has a video version as well so you can see the cards we're talking about. Head over...
2020-10-0232 min
Totally Rad Christmas!Rudolph's Shiny New Year (w/ Craig Kringle)What's up, dudes? This week I'm joined by Craig Kringle, host of the Weird Christmas podcast, to talk the bonkers Rankin/Bass special "Rudolph's Shiny New Year"! How is Rudolph young again? What do you mean the Baby New Year named Happy ran away? Oh yeah, and watch out for a crazed giant vulture who's trying to cheat death! This one is has it all! Now don't forget to vote in Gag Me with a Spoon! Check it out!Give us a buzz! Send a text, dudes!Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Totally...
2020-09-151h 02
Christmas PastRoundtable: Two Truths and a Lie, with Todd Killian, Carrie Mercer, and Chris SwietlikWelcome to another game where you need to spot the lie! This time, I'm joined by Todd from Christmas Clatter, Carrie from Christmas Book Review, and Chris from Yuletide TV. Oh, and after more than 100 episodes, this is the last time you'll hear me sign off from "sunny San Mateo, California." Christmas Past is moving to new headquarters, so stay subscribed to hear where. (Spoiler: it's not the North Pole.) Stay safe and healthy, everyone!Mentioned in this episodeCraig Kringle's Twitter feedMrs Claus by Tiffany Alvord and Tiffany Houghton
2020-05-211h 02Weird Christmas PodcastWC# 25 Christmas and Zen Buddhism, a talk with Brad WarnerA talk with Brad Warner, author of the new book Letters to a Dead Friend About Zen. How Buddhism can help calm holiday stress, and just stuff about Brad and Zen in general.
2020-01-0947 min
Weird Christmas PodcastWC #24 Medieval Christmas with Misty Schieberle and Scott SmithWhat do we know about Christmas during the Middle Ages? Turns out it's kinda hard to find very much information. I talk to two medievalists, Misty Schieberle and Scott Smith, who help me trace what few mentions of Christmas there are in the English tradition.
2020-01-0451 min
Weird Christmas PodcastWC #23 The Ghost Story of 2019, M.R. James' "The Story of a Disappearance and an Appearance"The 2019 Weird Christmas ghost story is "The Story of a Disappearance and an Appearance" by M. R. James. I also get some help with background on James and Punch and Judy puppet shows (which show up in the story) from Jim Moon of the Hypnogoria Podcast.
2019-12-3056 min
Weird Christmas PodcastWC #22 Underground Christmas Music with Christmas UndergroundWeird Christmas talks to the indie music blog Christmas Underground about the world of Christmas mixes and how he finds great, unknown Christmas music all year long.
2019-12-191h 02
Weird Christmas PodcastWC #21 Weird Christmas Flash Fiction 2019 (Contest results show)The annual Weird Christmas Flash Fiction show with the results of the 2019 contest. Fourteen odd stories of Christmas uncanniness to get you out of that holiday spirit. Find the full text of all the stories along with author bios and their contact info at WeirdChristmas.com.
2019-12-1557 min
Weird Christmas PodcastWC #20 Yule Lads and Icelandic ChristmasWho are the Yule Lads, and why does Iceland have a bunch of trolls instead of Santa Claus? I talk to author Heidi Herman and Christmas expert Benito Cereno about where the legends of the Yule Lads came from and how they're celebrated today. (Next show is the contest results show...almost there!)
2019-12-1231 min
Weird Christmas PodcastWC #Bonus Christmas Pickles with the Christmas Podcast NetworkBonus episode with Brian Earl of Christmas Past, Tim Babb of Can't Wait for Christmas, and Richard Parks III of Richard's Famous Food Podcast. This one's brought to you by the Christmas Podcast Network. We talk about Christmas pickles. Are they a "thing"? Well, that's what the show is about.
2019-12-0841 minChristmas PastDiscussion: The Christmas Pickle, with Richard Parks III, Craig Kringle, and Tim BabbHere on Christmas Past, I dig in to the backstories behind Christmas traditions. But what happens when you can’t even verify that the thing you’re researching even is a tradition? That’s what happened when I started looking into the Christmas Pickle. You’ve probably seen pickle tree ornaments, or maybe seen posts about them in your social media feeds. The story goes that it’s an old German tradition. But…the more you dig in, the more you have to wonder.Well, luckily someone else has done the heavy lifting. A trained journalist, no less. Richar...
2019-12-0542 min
Weird Christmas PodcastWC #19 (Almost) Unwatchable Christmas Movies with Alonso DuraldeI chat with film critic Alonso Duralde about his book Have Yourself a Movie Little Christmas, especially the chapter about the worst Christmas movies ever made. We discuss the Mexican film _Santa Claus_ (1959), the 70's gay bar flick _Some of My Best Friends Are..._, and the inexplicable _Magic Christmas Tree_. Lots of other good suggestions along the way.
2019-12-0349 min
Weird Christmas PodcastWC #18 Christmas Elves and Linda RaedischCraig Kringle talks with Linda Raedisch about Christmas elves, winter and solstice folklore surrounding fairies and elves, and even a bit of Halloween talk. Check the full show notes at WeirdChristmas.com as well as Linda's book _The Lore of Old Elfland."
2019-11-2435 min
Weird Christmas PodcastWC #17 Lisa Morton and Halloween HistoryWeird Christmas Podcast #17, a discussion of Halloween History with Lisa Morton. We discuss her three books about the history of Halloween along with talk of old forgotten Halloween traditions, such as youth riots and fortune telling with cabbages and kale. I also mention a site with tons of great Halloween postcards: https://vintagehalloweencards.blogspot.com/
2019-10-3121 min
Weird Christmas PodcastWC #16 Christmas Summer Comet and Patreon PlugA bonus summer episode! Professor (and Sir) Colin Humphreys of Cambridge discusses the evidence putting Christmas in the spring or summer rather than December. And...I plug my new Patreon site where you can get episodes all year round. (And there's a longer version of THIS VERY EPISODE at Patreon.com/weirdchristmas with 45 more minutes of weirdness!)
2019-08-2821 min
Weird Christmas PodcastWC #15 Christmas with MST3K, Rifftrax, and Connor LastowkaWeird Christmas explores the Christmas offerings of Mystery Science Theater 3000, Rifftrax, and Cinematic Titanic with Rifftrax writer Connor Lastowka.
2019-01-0129 min
Weird Christmas PodcastWC #14 Weird Christmas Flash FictionThe results show from the 2018 Weird Christmas Flash Fiction contest. 12 very, very short stories that will make you laugh, cringe, and fear Santa.
2018-12-1836 min
Weird Christmas PodcastWC #13 The Old Magic of Christmas with Linda RaedischI talk to author Linda Raedisch about her book The Old Magic of Christmas: Yuletide Traditions for the Darkest Days of the Year. We discuss ancient pagan rituals, legends, and stories from pagan old Europe.
2018-12-1230 min
Weird Christmas PodcastWC #12 Victorian Christmas Ghost Stories and Algernon Blackwood's "The Kit Bag"Why did Victorian England love Christmas ghost stories? Why does Andy Williams sing about them? Why is Algernon Blackwood's "A Kit Bag" so freakin' awesome? Why did so many people volunteer to read for me? Why did an actual scholar (Tara Moore) come on this obscure podcast?
2018-12-0449 min
Weird Christmas PodcastWC #11 Xmas Comics with Benito CerenoWeird Christmas Podcast #11. A discussion with Benito Cereno about the unlikely world of Christmas and comic books.
2018-11-3041 min
Advent Calendar HouseChristmas Podcast Network Crossover / Season 2 TeaserIt’s time to dust off the cobwebs and get the Advent Calendar House ready for Season 2, featuring a new episode every day from December 1 through Christmas Eve, 2018. In between commercial teasers for all 24 episodes coming in Season 2 — though not necessarily in order — the members of the all-new Christmas Podcast Network share stories of Christmas music traditions. **** 🎙 Guests: 1. Brian Earl (Christmas Past) 2. Tim Babb (Can’t Wait for Christmas) 3. Craig Kringle (Weird Christmas) 4. Duane Bailey (Tinsel Tunes) 5. Joseph Wade (Christmas Creeps), with Libby Cudmore...
2018-11-2234 min
Weird Christmas PodcastWC #Bonus Thanksgiving Gift of the Christmas Podcast NetworkWeird Christmas is part of a new thing: the Christmas Podcast Network. So this is a sampler of a bunch of the things you can find there. Different shows, different voices, and all in one place
2018-11-2233 min
Weird Christmas PodcastWC #10 Christmalloween (or How I Mixed Up My Holidays)How many Christmas carols are actually about Halloween? Or vice versa? However many there are, they aren't very good...with a couple of exceptions.
2018-10-3115 min
Weird Christmas PodcastWC #9 Christmas Music Junkies and Interview with Mitchell Kezin, Director of Jingle Bell Rocks!Talking about the underground world of Christmas music collectors with Mitchell Kezin, the director of Jingle Bell Rocks!, a documentary about people who hunt for the best and strangest Christmas music all year long.
2017-12-2236 min
Weird Christmas PodcastWC #8 HP Lovecraft Christmas Poems (and one story)All of HP Lovecraft's Christmas Poetry, with only minor bits of mind-bending terror. And his one "Christmas" story read by WC listeners, who are all awesome!
2017-12-1534 min
Weird Christmas PodcastWC #7 Santa's a Magic MushroomIn this episode, I delive into the world of shamanism, magic mushrooms, and Santa Claus. Travel with me on a trip to strange holiday destinations!
2017-12-1218 min
Weird Christmas PodcastWC #6 Drunken Christmas MusicChristmas songs full of the best tradition of the season: drinking! Country misery, drunk singing, and, believe it or not, some actually good stuff this time. But still weird.
2017-12-0714 minChristmas PastBackstory: Golden Age Christmas TV CartoonsIn 1962, the first Christmas cartoon created for television debuted. And even decades later, nothing can compete with the classic cartoons from that era.Fun LinksWeird Christmas: We heard from Craig Kringle and his podcast, Weird ChristmasTis the Season TV: Book by Joanna Wilson, the expert guest in this episodeChristmas TV History: Joanna Wilson's Web siteFat Packs Podcast: The podcast from Eric Norton, who shares a memory in this episodeMusic from this episode“Wingspan” — Blue Dot Sessions, via Free Music Archive“Gentle Marimbas” — Podington Bear, via Free Music Archive“Flattered” — Blue Dot Sessions, via Free Music Arc...
2017-12-0412 min
Weird Christmas PodcastWC #5 Weird Christmas TV and Movies with Joanna WilsonEpisode #5 of the Weird Christmas Podcast! Kicking off the 2017 Christmas season talking to Joanna Wilson, author of numerous books about Christmas tv. She gives some excellent recommendations to keep your holiday viewing weird.
2017-12-0133 min
Weird Christmas PodcastWC #Bonus Episode, The House of Seven Santas, Part 5SPECIAL BONUS EPISODE! Join the Weird Christmas Podcast and six other podcasts for a multi-part holiday special retelling of the story "The House of Seven Santas." If you want to start from the beginning, check out the Christmas Past Podcast at http://christmaspastpodcast.com/.
2017-12-0108 min
Weird Christmas PodcastWC #4 Thanksgiving Podcast 2017It's the first episode of 2017 for Weird Christmas! I'm confused about Thanksgiving! I don't know what the hell it means!
2017-11-2207 min
Weird Christmas PodcastWC #3 Weird Science Fiction Christmas Music PodcastWeird Christmas' science fiction extravaganza! Santa on the moon, Mars, rockets, your bachelor pad, and a bit of theramin for fun. Noel!
2016-12-1215 min
Weird Christmas PodcastWC #2 Weird Christmas Annoying Music ShowThe Weird Christmas Annoying Music Show. A variety of some of the strangest, most annoying Christmas music available. Check out WeirdChristmas.com for all the details.
2016-12-0115 min
Weird Christmas PodcastWC #1 Weird Christmas Podcast: Christmas Myths DebunkedThe first episode of the Weird Christmas podcast where we find all the strangest vintage, musical, and historical things about your favorite holidays. All the stuff I talk about there like WeirdChristmas.com, an email, etc....yeah, that's all been going on for a couple of years now. Heh heh...
2016-11-2236 min