Festive Fans Unite! (send us a message)

Working in Alaska in the 1980s was no place for the fainthearted. It demanded perseverance and fortitude.  Work began before dawn.  The tasks were repetitive, backbreaking, and physical. Bears wandered close enough that you could hear their breath in the dark, or if the boom on the ship knocked you overboard, they weren’t coming back for you.  A seasonal job in the Alaskan wilderness reshaped you in ways that you couldn’t anticipate.  It was raw, demanding, and difficult.  But you also learned what it meant to be strong—and to be truly, vibrantly alive.

It was in this environment that the Festive Fans forged their personalities and became the true Christmas fans they are today.  For our special Thanksgiving episode, the boys return back to the Last Frontier to explore Christmas in this vast wilderness.  Alaska is the largest U.S. state and not contiguous to the lower 48 states.  It has impressive landscapes, towering mountain ranges, and expansive forests, tundra, and glaciers.

As our favorite season approaches, Mark and Bob take a trip down memory lane to revisit a pivotal time in their lives that they spent in the pristine wilds of Alaska. Although not a festive foreign place, it still has that untamed feel that makes it both unique and awe-inspiring.  Alaska, with its breathtaking scenery, sweeping majestic mountains, ice-blue rivers, and dancing northern lights, is something sacred.

Come join us as we reminisce on our time spent in this favorite state and discuss the 2020 Mel Gibson film “Fatman”.  At the same time that the lights begin to twinkle on our Christmas trees at home, we recall a place where the night sky was ablaze with stars illuminated by the midnight sun, no matter if you were watching from an oil rig or a fishing boat.  Our wish for Christmas is that Alaska forever remains this beacon of hope and promise, with its deep Indigenous heritage.  We want future generations to enjoy how we felt when we both stood on ground that seemed untouched, and embraced that fierce, unbroken, and wild freedom that Alaska offers to the young at heart.

It is Thanksgiving 2025 today, and Mark and I are so grateful not only for our fans, but also for our shared experience in the rugged landscape of the 49th state.  This is another common element that we share in our soul, just like our love for movies and Christmas.  Alaska deserves the special callout we give it here and we hope you enjoy it.  Although not its own country, we still can honor its vastness and recognize how it serves as an irreplaceable gift to the world.  Alaska is that rare reminder of how the Earth once was, and how it still should be allowed to be.

Email Address:
festivefans@gmail.com

Instagram:
@festivefans

4F Playlist:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6ccCbuBY0Yi7WAx6F0Gu8f?si=135ea2453ce645ce

Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092522416848

4F Flair Shop (Festive Fans Merchandise)
https://festivefanflair.myspreadshop.com/

Festive Fans Unite! (send us a message)

The Festive Fans end their Creepmas in October with a review of the 2021 film “The Advent Calendar” and a salute to Belgium.  We also speak with Sabine Janisela, a diplomat at the Latvian Embassy, who helps us on our Piragi journey, offering both official cultural knowledge along with her own personal experience.

The “Advent Calendar” is a horror film about a mysterious wooden advent calendar that intertwines the coziness of Christmas with a sinister twist. Each door offers to satisfy your deepest wish — at a terrible cost. While the movie may be scary, Belgium is not.  It is only the size of the state of New Jersey, but it is surprisingly diverse with its Flemish, Walloon, and Brussels influences.  Belgium is like living in a fairy tale, with its cobblestone streets, Gothic churches, medieval castles, canals, and beers brewed by monks in ancient abbeys.  Along with the scent of chocolate and waffles in the air, you can’t help but raise a toast to this compact little country.

And speaking of drink, Belgium is a place where its rich beer tradition stretches back nearly a thousand years.  They brew more than 1,500 distinctly different beers.  Belgians have a deep cultural appreciation and reverence for beer, and the Festive Fans may have just died and gone to heaven, especially since this is also the birthplace of Christmas beers.  In Belgium, beer is an art form, and the Christmas beers—also known as “bières de Noël” or “kerstbier”—are their masterpieces. Traditionally brewed for the holiday season, these beers are stronger, richer, and more complex, just like us!

They often have higher alcohol content and seasonal spices—like clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, and orange peel—to evoke the warmth needed for a winter’s night. The aroma alone recalls festive meals shared with family.  These rich, spiced brews embody the Belgian soul—rooted in history and brimming with craftsmanship. Why don’t you crack one open now, gather by the fire, and join us as we get a little spooky in our crossover celebration of Christmas with a little Halloween appreciation.

Email Address:
festivefans@gmail.com

Instagram:
@festivefans

4F Playlist:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6ccCbuBY0Yi7WAx6F0Gu8f?si=135ea2453ce645ce

Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092522416848

4F Flair Shop (Festive Fans Merchandise)
https://festivefanflair.myspreadshop.com/

Festive Fans Unite! (send us a message)

The Festive Fans take a thoughtful and enlightening journey to South Africa this episode to discover Christmas in a country still scarred by apartheid.  We tend to overlook how South Africa is a place of extraordinary beauty — with its Table Mountain, Kruger National Park, pristine beaches, and a rich array of wildlife.  Instead, we define it by its painful past.  By doing so, we discount this rich and diverse nation with 11 official languages and strong ethnic and cultural traditions.  The movie Liewe Kersfeesvader is a perfect reflection of South Africa.  While on its surface, the story may seem grim, with its themes of dysfuction, death, and mental illness.  However, what it hides is a soulful and uplifting story about the strength of family and self-discovery, just like the recent history of South Africa itself.  It is a film that reminds us how even with so much chaos in the world, we should never let our dreams be diminished by our flawed humanity.  Instead, the Festive Fans embrace and words the vision of Nelson Mandala, the anti-apartheid South African activist who was imprisoned for 27 years and who would later become the country’s first black head of state and democratically elected president upon his release.

Mandela said that remembering the past is not about bitterness, but it opens a path to healing.  We don’t want to ignore the painful chapter of apartheid, but we also don’t want to dwell on it.  Christmas is a holiday that offers the promise of peace and the longing for a more just and generous world, and nothing proves this more than modern South Africa.  Few nations have faced such a deep historical trauma and still found a way to seek healing. This nation is a model for how to confront and work toward reconciliation, even with serious economic and social challenges.  It is not perfect, the deep inequality in South Africa still remains a challenge today, but it is trying.  South Africa’s transition to democracy and advocacy for human rights has inspired other nations.

In his first Christmas message after his release, Mandela spoke of the profound joy of spending the day without being a fugitive.  He talked about all of the other prisoners and detainees still torn from their families, urging South Africans to extend compassion, and describing the possibility of renewal, unity and a better future for the country.  This perspective is inspiring. The healing power of Christmas should last for more than just one festive day.  South Africa is a reminder that with love and kindness, even after years of cruelty and despair, communities can rebuild, families can reunite, and light will return.  Mandala explicitly connected Christmas to the broader political shifts going on in his country.  His voice invites us all — in South Africa and beyond — to let Christmas renew our courage to fight injustice and to recognize that our differences are a source of strength rather than conflict.  Christmas in South Africa is a living testimony that even in places with a dark and ugly history, light can break through, and hope can be reborn. This is a message we all can celebrate

Email Address:
festivefans@gmail.com

Instagram:
@festivefans

4F Playlist:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6ccCbuBY0Yi7WAx6F0Gu8f?si=135ea2453ce645ce

Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092522416848

4F Flair Shop (Festive Fans Merchandise)
https://festivefanflair.myspreadshop.com/

Festive Fans Unite! (send us a message)

We thought we could make a joke about what the Festive Fans have in common with this episode’s country.  We like to say it’s because we are tall and long, and we were surprised when our wives agreed, but they said we are tall on appetite and long on belt size.  Ha!  Well, it’s no joking matter, we are off to celebrate in the literal spine of South America – Chile!  It’s a land of beautiful contradictions—long but narrow, with icy glaciers and blazing deserts, where you can ski and surf on the same day.  It’s shaped like a candy cane and sparkles with as many stars as a Christmas tree.  Despite being the Gateway to the Antarctic, Christmas in Chile means sun, surf, and cold cola de mono.

We also review a Chilean movie from 2009 called La Nana, a film that reminds us of the essence of Christmas in its own quiet way.  It carries the spirit of the season hidden inside its narrative, waiting for the audience to realize its warmth.  It may not meet the strict standards of a Christmas movie, but it has all of the elements we associate with the holiday season.  It’s an interesting tale of hope, redemption, and love.

In the end, we love how Chile strives to be different. They don’t say “Feliz Navidad” which is heard throughout the Spanish-speaking countries. The traditional Chilean Christmas greeting is “Felices Pascuas” which also means Easter in Spanish. Go figure.  Also Santa Claus is known as Papa Noel throughout most of Latin America, but he is uniquely known as Viejito Pascuero in Chile. Since Christmas is called “Pascua” in Chile, they called him “Pacuero,” which translates to Old Man Christmas.  Even the holiday food is exceptional.  Pan de Pascua is a fruitcake that people actually want to eat.

Come with us now to discover how Chile is a vibrant fusion of different cultures and traditions — Indigenous roots, Spanish culture, and European influences. This just adds to the richness and spice that makes the holiday season feel magical.  It influences the food and the music and gives Christmas in Chile its own unique flavor.

Email Address:
festivefans@gmail.com

Instagram:
@festivefans

4F Playlist:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6ccCbuBY0Yi7WAx6F0Gu8f?si=135ea2453ce645ce

Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092522416848

4F Flair Shop (Festive Fans Merchandise)
https://festivefanflair.myspreadshop.com/

Festive Fans Unite! (send us a message)

As the wives of the Festive Fans know, the best Christmas gifts sometimes come in small packages.  The same can be said of this episode’s location — Luxembourg.  This mini country is often overlooked and forgotten, as it is wedged in between Belgium, France, and Germany.  However, most Luxembourg residents are trilingual and they enjoy a multicultural history.  Plus, although it may be tiny, Luxembourg is one of Europe’s richest countries. We share a memorable visit there as Luxembourg provides a festive backdrop of dense forests, fairy-tale castles and cobblestone streets winding through charming little towns.

We also experience a good old-fashioned ghost story.  As described in the classic holiday song “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” there is an old tradition of telling “scary ghost stories” at Christmas.  This is a nod to a forgotten practice once common in Victorian England.  The Yuletide season, as we know, is often a time for looking back, reevaluating life, and making amends—which is a perfect time for a ghost story.  Winter was considered a cold, dark and spooky season, to be enjoyed only by being indoors near a roaring fire, listening to the howling winds, and trying to scare the wits out of each other.

In the movie Les Ames de Papier, Luxembourg radiates a cozy warmth that is truly magical, matched only by the supernatural elements of this film. It’s a familiar redemption story that feels a lot like A Christmas Carol.  Paul is a professional obituary writer, who is haunted by his wife’s death. He is visited by the dead husband of the woman he is falling in love with, and this ghostly encounter pushes him to deal with his own unresolved grief.

So come with us now, on this haunted adventure to an elegant place where joy shouldn’t be measured by its size alone.

Email Address:
festivefans@gmail.com

Instagram:
@festivefans

4F Playlist:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/48fClElFHIbhA4u55qo5Hm?si=rEwNHgOyRACX1IuPZe0PTw&pi=u-D3fbqpFNSw-p

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/48fClElFHIbhA4u55qo5Hm

Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092522416848

4F Flair Shop (Festive Fans Merchandise)
https://festivefanflair.myspreadshop.com/

Festive Fans Unite! (send us a message)

Let’s face it, the Festive Fans have willingly talked about foreign Christmas movies twice a month for two years.  You might think that is celebration enough, and you would be right.  It definitely should be, but it’s absolutely not.  Because we also need to have an awards show, of course.  It has to be an over-the-top, completely unnecessary, gloriously self-congratulatory event at a local casual dining location to really capture the true essence of the holiday— serving, dining, and communal celebration.  And trust me, this is all better than the Triple Dipper…

Our podcast awards show is not just for ceremony, it’s our therapy. We want to provide recognition to the individuals, the places, and the traditions that have entertained us all year. They have given us inventive storytelling, emotional depth, and festive spirit, so we want to get these films needed attention. Great stories don’t come with borders. They prove to us that the Christmas spirit transcends language.

So yes, we have rolled out the red carpet. Let’s celebrate the stories that have opened our eyes to unfamiliar landscapes, unique traditions, and universal emotions.  They help us to understand others, and, in turn, we better understand ourselves.  In the end, Christmas films are a reflection of our best selves — kind, joyful, and connected.  Because in a world full of distractions, we want to add more noise.  Let’s give them all a standing ovation.

Email Address:
festivefans@gmail.com

Instagram:
@festivefans

4F Playlist:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/48fClElFHIbhA4u55qo5Hm?si=rEwNHgOyRACX1IuPZe0PTw&pi=u-D3fbqpFNSw-p

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/48fClElFHIbhA4u55qo5Hm

Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092522416848

4F Flair Shop (Festive Fans Merchandise)
https://festivefanflair.myspreadshop.com/

Festive Fans Unite! (send us a message)

In the waning days of the old year, when the sun turned hot and the wind warm, there came word from the South Country. It was said that the Fellowship of the Festive Fans had a mission in the land of the Middle Earth. A spiritual quest was formed to find the Kiwi Christmas.

Could it be there, not in the cold hearts of the orcs and the trolls, but in the ordinary folk in the country and the cities?  Is it absent, scattered like starlight across the sea, faded in the sad and meager lives like the weary world we see in the moving picture called Christmas?

The festive group sets out from a small and stunning hamlet, nestled between the misted ranges and the blue hush of the Pacific. The sun is high and the grass is green in Oceania, not like the world above with its snow and shoveling.  What is Christmas in this land?  Does it have its own songs and laughter, along with its long and golden evenings?

Along the journey, there are ancient ferns and plants here with many rivers that whisper of old magic. There are no icicles, no frosty panes — only fish grilled hangi-style and sweet wine. We travel to the roadstops, strange but beautiful places with names like Queenstown and Auckland, and the companions are bewildered. There are no wreaths, no sleighbells, no reindeer. Only sunburn, barbecues, sausages, and Snoopy’s Christmas. We ask the same question: “Have you seen Christmas here?”

At last, the company arrives at a high hill above the Bay of Islands, where an old pohutukawa blooms with crimson fire.  It is the place where the first Christmas mass was celebrated.   The tree stands watch, its bark gnarled with age and memory. Beneath it, is a message, spoken not with tongue, but with the wind and sea, and in a voice as deep as midwinter.

“You seek Christmas,” we all hear, though no voice speaks. “Know that men carry it with them. You speak as though Christmas lives only in a wintry place, with its snow-laden songs.  But here, it wears jandals and is found in the barbecue smoke. It dances in the eyes of tamariki leaping through sprinklers.  It is summer-born, and it lives in true hope and kindness, no matter the location.”

And so, after this episode, the circle is no longer sad for the plight of the family in Christmas.  We do not search any longer, we are knowing.  Christmas is found in New Zealand, and not with traditional images of snowmen, skating, and fireplaces.  Instead, it lives with blue skies, beaches and the sunlight borne by its residents to the ends of the Middle Earth.  And lo!  It is good, especially for a 50th episode!

Email Address:
festivefans@gmail.com

Instagram:
@festivefans

4F Playlist:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/48fClElFHIbhA4u55qo5Hm?si=rEwNHgOyRACX1IuPZe0PTw&pi=u-D3fbqpFNSw-p

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/48fClElFHIbhA4u55qo5Hm

Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092522416848

4F Flair Shop (Festive Fans Merchandise)
https://festivefanflair.myspreadshop.com/

Festive Fans Unite! (send us a message)

Join the Festive Fans for a little Pura Vida Christmas!  Tonight’s country runs on this magical motto.  After two years, we are finally making our way to Central America.  Our first stop?  We visit the beautiful, lush country of Costa Rica.  We promise that everything about it will bring a smile to your face, including our featured film from 2024, Paradise Falls:  A Christmas Story.  It’s a festive tale filled with dreams, wishes, ghosts, and a donkey … you know, just a classic Christmas story.

And don’t be fooled by their “pure life” slogan — that doesn’t mean chill.  Costa Rica has an incredibly diverse landscape filled with waterfalls, volcanoes, and a rainforest full of howler monkeys, sloths and coatis, all packed into a country that’s smaller than West Virginia.  “Ticos” know how to turn up the holiday spirit.

They may not have snow here, but there is plenty of sunshine.  Christmas may be warm, but they know how to party, with rodeos, bull runs, and lots of tamales. Making tamales is a social event. Families gather in assembly lines to wrap them in banana leaves, stuffing them with pork, rice, and vegetables. It’s festive and chaotic, and a great way to bond.

You’ll want to pack your surfboard and hiking shoes for this trip, but make sure your wrapping paper is recyclable and your gifts are sustainable.  Costa Ricans pride themselves in being eco-friendly.   Instead of a white Christmas for this show, we’ll make it a green one.  And don’t forget to leave some coffee out for Santa.

Email Address:
festivefans@gmail.com

Instagram:
@festivefans

4F Playlist:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/48fClElFHIbhA4u55qo5Hm?si=rEwNHgOyRACX1IuPZe0PTw&pi=u-D3fbqpFNSw-p

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/48fClElFHIbhA4u55qo5Hm

Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092522416848

4F Flair Shop (Festive Fans Merchandise)
https://festivefanflair.myspreadshop.com/

Festive Fans Unite! (send us a message)

It’s time to grab all your ex-husbands and wives, strip down, and head for the sauna as Christmas is about to get messy.  The Festive Fans are traveling to the Christmas capital of the world this episode – Germany!  We are off to the original home to some of our most cherished holiday traditions.  Plus, as an extra bonus, we get to learn a lot about St. Martin (the patron saint of Germany) and his special day, so put that in your old shillelagh and smoke it, Saint Patrick.

Join us as we explore a country blessed with spectacular scenery, historic and inviting villages, castles, and, most importantly, giant steins of beer.  This is a really fun episode with a good movie, a great country, lots of authentic Christmas origins and a holiday song that keeps it all in perspective — Max Raabe’s “The Perfect Christmas Moment” from 2017, where he sings about just lazing around for the holidays. With Christmas markets, German potato salad (hot and cold), Krampus, and more … what more could you want for the start of spring?

Email Address:
festivefans@gmail.com

Instagram:
@festivefans

4F Playlist:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/48fClElFHIbhA4u55qo5Hm?si=rEwNHgOyRACX1IuPZe0PTw&pi=u-D3fbqpFNSw-p

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/48fClElFHIbhA4u55qo5Hm

Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092522416848

4F Flair Shop (Festive Fans Merchandise)
https://festivefanflair.myspreadshop.com/