Backyard Philosophy Podcast

Milk and cookies are a staple in Christmas culture, the tradition of leaving out treats for Santa as he brings you gifts well… its hard to think of more classic Christmas trope. But all traditions have a beginning and all traditions are done for a reason. So why is it on Christmas eve do you leave cookies and milk out for Santa? Well down the chimney we go to investigate and tell you why so many people leave treats out for old saint nick.

Christmas is filled with traditions, some we make ourselves, some have been passed down through generations and some we practice but have no idea why. One of these events, traditions, is the celebration of yuletide and all the things that comes with it. But questions arise; what is yuletide, where does it come from and what on earth is a yule? Join as we dive down into the history of Christmas and were the holiday comes from.

The Holiday season is filled will joy and cheer, connecting with one’s loved ones and filled with traditions. But it is also filled with dread. Dread of making sure you get everyone gifts, you don’t forget anyone, decorations, obligations. Let’s be honest, the holiday season is a lot of work. And one of the most taxing busy work during the holidays is replying to everyone. Making sure you don’t forget anyone and show people you care even when you are tired and just want to crawl under the covers and be left alone. Well you are not the only one. And in fact the feeling of I don’t want to do this is a bit of where the Christmas card came from. And this episode we dive down the chimney and see where the tradition of Christmas cards came from and how they almost disappeared.

Imagine you come across a jewel, not just any jewel, a diamond. A diamond that is worth millions. A diamond deep blue in color and almost as big as a golf ball. The only problem is… it is said to be cursed. And over the centuries it has been stolen, remade and all the owners of it… all have mysteriously died. Would you still take it? Would you risk owning a cursed jewel for millions of dollars? … If you said yes, you would not be alone. Many people would risk their lives in the pursuit of getting the allusive diamond better known as the Hope diamond.

We all know of Dracula, both the myth and the real man… Whether it be movies about a vampire or books about the historic Vlad The Impaler. But few know about his younger brother Radu. Who had an interesting life of his own. A man who fought with and slept with Sultans, waged war against multiple kingdoms and sat on the same throne multiple times. In this episode we dive into the life of Radu whose life could be a Shakespearean play or new game of thrones novel.

We have all heard about spouses killing one another for insurance money, of black widows killing their husbands out of resentment, of deranged parents ending their own children’s lives. But perhaps there is no woman as prolific at doing all this than Mary Ann Cotton. One of… if not England’s first serial killer. A woman who killed around 21 people, all for greed and enjoyment. This is the Arsenic Killer Mary Ann Cotton.

Monsters have always plagued humanities mind, some of them real some of them nothing more than our figure of imagination. Either way, monsters induce fear, and perhaps there is nothing as infections to others as fear. So, what do you do when you have an era of war, plague and famine well you look for an escape goat or in this case an escape wolf. Across most of Europe during the 16th, 17th, 18th centuries a werewolf hunt ensued, prosecuting hundreds if not thousands of people on the crime of being in league with the devil. Join us this episode as we investigate the werewolf panic and stories about werewolves in Europe.

In the dark there is always something, something lurking, stalking, hunting. And with a flash of lightning in this tale a certain creature would appear and come for souls. There are many creatures of the night but if rumors are true this creature comes from the bowels of hell itself. Satan’s own pet, a beast that plagued English countryside’s for centuries. A hellhound. And not just any hell hound, oh no this one has its own name… The Black Shuck. A devil dog, a beast, a hell hound that has no limitations in its capacity and fears nothing. In this story we weather the storm of creature who plagued the English countryside and took lives along the way.

No that wasn’t your phone, but there is a high chance you thought it was or even felt a vibration in your pocket. And you are not alone. Millions if not billions of people all around the world hear and feel their phone go off, even though it never actually did. A phantom vibration. Is it the phone companies toying with you? Is it that you are going mad? Is it the clothes we wear, giving us a false sensation? Well in this week episode we dive into the strange yet common sensation… Phantom Phone Vibrations.

Boxing has been an evolving sport ever since its creation. In the early days … it was crude, raw and the rules were not really formed yet. Gloves were considered dishonorable, canvases were wood and dirt and the fight wouldn’t be over, till there was only one man left standing. But what happens when you have two men refusing to go down, refusing to give up, giving every inch of their body to stay in the fight. Well you get the longest boxing match that has ever happened and more than likely will ever will be. You get the brawl between Andy Bowen and Jack Burke.