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Wait, don’t think the holidays are over! They don’t have to be. It may be the end of the 12 Days of the Christmas, but the Festive Fans want to keep the party going, all year! We are starting off 2026 with a visit to jolly old England, the granddaddy of the Christmas holiday. It is so merry, we needed an expanded two-part episode, with special guests, extra movies, and more general celebration. Just what we need for our post-Christmas blues!

Can we think of an international location more Christmas cozy than Great Britain? When we think of an idyllic holiday vision of carolers, crackling fires, and snow tapping at the window, what we are picturing is Victorian England. We wanted to start the new year off here, because we consider it one of the preeminent Christmas places in the world. It is picturesque, with its candlelit churches, village greens, frost-softened mornings, and the pubs glowing with warmth. And while it may be the ideal backdrop to set the holiday mood, it is not without meaning, which lingers well beyond the parties, gifts, and meals.

More importantly, it is Dickens, and his native land, who are mostly responsible for not only adding ghosts to the holiday (which we appreciate!), but also reimaging Christmas as a season of warmth, generosity, and redemption. Ebenezer Scrooge showed us that moral responsibility to mankind is essential to a just society. We saw this same spirit reflected again in England through the charitable efforts of Band Aid, when local musicians mobilized global attention in the 1980s to raise millions of dollars to combat world hunger during the Ethiopian famine. Like Scrooge’s experience, the efforts of Band Aid demonstrated how empathy can spark actual change. These examples show how the English don’t just express the Christmas spirit; they personify it.

Recall how Dickens encouraged readers to carry the spirit of compassion forward beyond the holidays. He reminds us that generosity is not limited to a single season. Focusing on these charitable lessons and their real-world impact is a powerful way to begin a new year. As 2025 transitions into 2026, it provides us a valuable opportunity for personal reflection and motivation.

Starting the new year with a renewed commitment to purpose and social responsibility, sets a hopeful tone and can make the new year feel more purposeful and full of possibility. So come join the Festive Fans over the next two episodes to celebrate and appreciate how England embodies the true spirit of Christmas through its history, literature, traditions and emphasis on compassion and goodwill. No other place can deliver Christmas and bring it to life with such timeless charm.

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Better late than never. We missed our episode drop date by 10 days. That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown. It’s so much fun packed into a few short weeks. Plus, the way the Festive Fans pine away for this holiday all year, we have to squeeze the most out of our season. We’ve barely had time to make our Christmas lists. You know that anticipation can sometimes make things better by building excitement before the event actually arrives. So now that this episode is finally dropping, it carries the weight of all that expectation, which should make it feel more rewarding and memorable. However, that’s not the case here.

The Festive Fans visit Georgia this episode. No, not that Peach State. We are talking about the country that is framed by the snowcapped Caucasus Mountains and the warm shores of the Black Sea. It is a place known for being at the crossroads of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. We view only our second documentary in three years. It explores another aspect of the Christmas commercial trade -- the transnational Christmas tree industry. Despite it being the holiday season, we are still left at the end with the same feeling of angst.

This film is framed in the shadow of a child’s murder who we meet in the documentary. It also tackles the socio-economic conditions between the working-class Georgians who risk their lives climbing trees to harvest pinecones and the upper-class Danes who buy them. This financial dichotomy over the production of Christmas trees creates a strong sense of emotional overload. When the world outside is glowing with lights and songs about hope and joy, this stream of real-life drama is raw and cuts more deeply. In this way, a sad documentary during Christmas doesn’t just tell a story—it intertwines with the season’s emotions.

Above all, this movie carries emotional depth, especially at this time of year. While not pleasant or festive, it still is deeply human and part of the shared Christmas experience. When the season is stripped down to its true essence, it can still be deeply spiritual and meaningful. So it is important during our celebrations, that we recognize that understanding, gratitude, and humility always lie at the heart of Christmas.

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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.

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For this episode, the Festive Fans start the show feeling a little down. Our current political landscape in the States has Bob upset with so many in the country living in a constant state of anger. Then we travel to Colombia, a country with a notorious reputation from a vicious drug trade. The 1980s and 1990s saw the rise of the infamous drug cartels, whose illicit activities have shaped perceptions of the nation worldwide for years. We also watch a film about a young man living in a homeless shelter in Bogotá at the holidays who cannot escape the violence of the streets around him. It all seems so depressing … and yet, it’s comforting.

This may be our most Christmas-y show of all. In the midst of all the sadness, adversity and conflict, a familiar light is still there. Focusing solely on Colombia’s negative past ignores its incredible transformation over the past three decades and its efforts to promote peace and stability. Today, Colombia is a symbol of recovery. It still has serious issues as we witness in Un Varon … and yet, it’s inspiring.

As the film portrays the poverty-stricken streets of Bogota, it reminds us of the pages of Dickens. As we watch the efforts of Carlos with his androgynous features, skinny body and high voice, face the day-to-day business of survival, he is neither strong nor threatening. We witness how much Carlos is hurting inside, and his sensitivity restores hope. Christmas looms and provides his only opportunity for happiness to spend the holiday with his sister and his incarcerated mother. It occupies his thoughts. The specter of the joyful holiday is a reminder of what eludes Carlos and the other homeless teens around him. It may seem cruel at first … and yet, it’s compassionate.

The Christmas season offers a rare sense of peace. Just at a time when the world feels so angry and fragmented, we realize how the extraordinary power of Christmas reminds us of our shared humanity. It’s one of the few times of year when people from different backgrounds, beliefs, and opinions will share a collective sense of goodwill. It distracts us from the harshness of the world. As we see with Carlos, Christmas provides a connection and belonging and a focus on what truly matters. The emphasis on togetherness allows the season to heal the wounds caused by alienation. It may seem temporary … and yet, it endures.

Christmas encourages us to imagine a better world. It invites us to reflect on the possibilities ahead. Compassion defines who we are and encourages forgiveness of others and of ourselves. The modern world may be defined by division, but Christmas offers us a real chance for union. It provides us a moment to reflect and to remember what unites us. In a time when hardship, poverty and anger may feel endless, Christmas reminds us that warmth and joy will return. In the end, the Fans realize that we must allow the spirit of Christmas to lift our hearts. It is the only way to rediscover the best parts of ourselves that we often let stay hidden underneath the surface.

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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.

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The Festive Fans are off to the “nicest place in the world”, a nation that looks like Christmas itself, with its pine forests, captivating snowfalls, and Hallmark worthy quaint little towns. The people there are so friendly that the place is bursting with joy. They even claim Santa as an official citizen. Yes, that’s right, we are off to our neighbor to the north, Canada, to explore the other parts of the country outside of Quebec. There’s a certain gentleness to it, a politeness that feels downright festive. Even their flag is red and white.

It’s also ironic that we are watching the Canadian film Black Christmas, one of the first and most influential slasher films ever made. It is directed by Bob Clark, the same filmmaker who also gave the world another Christmas classic, A Christmas Story. In 1974, Clark made this stylish horror film about a killer stalking a sorority house during the holidays. It introduced elements that later became popular tropes likes showing the point-of-view of the killer, featuring a male stalker targeting young women with the “final girl” left who is strong and defiant, and the famous line that the "calls are coming from inside the house". In addition, it has a chilling ambiguous ending where the killer's identity and motive are left unknown.

And it takes place in Canada — the unlikeliest backdrop for yuletide joy and terror. It is so at odds with the cozy cheer of the host country, but it is also deeply Canadian. There’s something perfectly absurd about both films being shot in a country known globally for its niceness.

Black Christmas is the first of our two “Creepmas in October” films, because there’s something irresistibly entertaining about Christmas horror movies. After a year of mostly feel-good stories, the Festive Fans like to turn the season of goodwill on its head with a refreshing scary twist. We want some ordinary holiday cheer mixed with dark humor and creeping dread. From yuletide laughter to bloodcurdling screams, it can feel a bit cathartic.

Watching Black Christmas and its ilk feels a bit like sneaking a bite of moose tongue at the holiday table— shocking, nauseating, but oddly satisfying. Join us now in the land of Hallmark Christmas movies with charming main streets and crazed killers, snowy landscapes and silent stalkers. We explore this land of Christmas to learn about its festive customs and holidays because Canadians are stereotyped for their generosity — qualities that echo the heart of the holiday season. It is a country that either feels like Christmas year-round or where holiday cheer goes to die. You decide.

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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

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So this episode is late. The Festive Fans had to attend a family celebration and a memorable party, but it was not Christmas. It was a wedding, an event that is surprisingly similar to our favorite holiday. They are both bright, warm, and full of promise. I thought about this while sitting on a beach in the dark, meditating about life, in the moonlit shadow of a beautiful Chicago skyline. Also, I considered how a tuxedo was never meant to be worn in the sand.

I sat there, half-buried in the beach, my shorts full of wet grit, staring at the horizon as the sun made its slow entrance. I was thinking about how special times can create joy in our ordinary lives. We crave these common rituals that bind us together, because they heighten our emotions when something special is taking place.

Like the day after Christmas, the morning after a wedding has the same touch of melancholy. I felt a bit sad, but also was filled with gratitude and reflection, because the wedding event was over. In my nostalgic funk, I also began to think about tonight’s movie, Bodies at Rest. It is from 2019, but it feels like a retro 1980s thriller. The story begins on a stormy Christmas Eve, when an armed force takes over a public facility to help cover for one of its gang, who recently committed a crime. Now this may sound a lot like the premise for Die Hard 2, but it is instead a Chinese action flick, filmed in Hong Kong, and directed by the same Renny Harlin. It features bad guys wearing Santa, Elf, and Rudolph masks, and a hero pathologist with the seasonally appropriate name of Nick.

My musings brought me full circle to Hong Kong, a region that offers the same enchantment of Christmas, with how it combines tradition and modernity together. It's a place that dazzles with its brilliant glow. Hong Kong has experienced a lot in the past 25 years when it transferred to China after 156 years of British rule. I considered all of this as I watched the sun crawl over the horizon in my disheveled outfit. In the same way that the day after Christmas and the day after a wedding are not about endings, neither was the handover of Hong Kong. While celebrations shine brightly for a time, the days that follow can feel empty and quiet when our memories shift from the present into the past. But, like a fragile ornament, if handled with care, the new times will endure and become stronger, lasting, and real.

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