About this podcast
A dive into the characters, stories, traditions, food, and everything else surrounding the Christmas season all over the world. Each episode ends with a passage from The Lost Years of Santa Claus book, recounting stories that fill gaps in the Santa Claus mythos and answer questions about the man himself and his real story.
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- After the 25th: The Lost 40 Days of Christmas
by e_xander on December 30, 2025Christmas doesn’t end on December 25—so why do we treat it like it does? For centuries, Christmas was a forty-day season, stretching from the Nativity all […]
- Santa Claus: A Unified Field Theory of the World’s Greatest Deliveryby e_xander on December 23, 2025
How does Santa Claus deliver presents to hundreds of millions of homes in a single night? Many say it’s impossible—but the science might disagree. In this […]
- From Wintry Rom-Coms and Cozy Crimes to Dark Fantasy: The Best Modern Christmas Novels You Should Readby e_xander on December 19, 2025
In this episode, we explore the most compelling Christmas-themed novels from the past 20 years, spanning mystery, thriller, fantasy, horror, romance, and […]
- Kanakaloka: Santa Claus, Makahiki, and Christmas Traditions Across the Pacific Islandsby e_xander on December 16, 2025
In this episode, we explore the fascinating history of Kanakaloka, Hawaiʻi’s island-style Santa Claus, and uncover how Christmas gift-giving traditions […]
- Lutins: France’s Mischievous Christmas Spiritsby e_xander on December 12, 2025
Discover the surprising, two-thousand-year journey of the lutin, France’s iconic mischievous spirit. Once born from the Roman sea god Neptune, lutins evolved […]
- An Arctic Noel: Inuit Christmas!by e_xander on December 9, 2025
Journey to the Arctic to learn how Inuit families embrace Christmas, or Quviasukvik, with a mix of ancient customs and modern festivities. From winter games to […]
- Sports on Christmas: The Untold History Behind Holiday Gamesby e_xander on December 5, 2025
Every holiday season, millions of fans tune in for Christmas Day sports—NBA showdowns, NFL clashes, global soccer derbies, college bowl games, holiday hockey […]
- Warming Spices, Chilled Nogs: The Global History of Christmas Food and Drinkby e_xander on November 28, 2025
Are you ready to eat and drink through Christmas history? Go beyond cookies, roast, eggnog and mulled wine to uncover the fascinating deep cultural roots of […]
- The 12 Dark Days: Karankoncolos, the Goblins of Christmastimeby e_xander on November 21, 2025
Forget the usual holiday cheer and dive into the chilling world of Christmas folklore with the terrifying Karakoncolos (also known as Kallikantzaros). These […]
- Arctic Shaman Santa?! Meet Yamal Iri, The Grandfather of the End of the Worldby e_xander on November 14, 2025
Beyond Santa Claus and Ded Moroz, the real Arctic winter wizard is Yamal Iri, the “Grandfather of Yamal,” a localized Christmas figure from the […]
