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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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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.

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The Festive Fans decided to trek northeast to Greenland to see what the fuss was about.  We found an incredible place the land of the Vikings, filled with towering icebergs, spectacular fjords, incredible wildlife, and the Northern Lights.  OK, so now we get it.  

We also watched a Christmas film called Krudt and Kaerlighed (Gunpowder and Love) from 2019, we learned about some of their favorite holiday traditions, and we discovered a spotty history with the U.S., and maybe the reason why the Greenlanders aren’t so enthused with our severe case of the gimmes.  

We realize, it’s not easy being Greenland:

It's Not Easy Being Greenland
(to the tune of “Bein’ Green”)

It’s not that easy being Greenland,
ice and snow is pretty much only what we have,
and then the U.S. comes and they want to take, or possess or own us 
or make us the fifty-first state like that

Its not easy being Greenland,
When you were not planning to be offered up for sale,
But now we’re considered to be “prime real estate”,
with flashy elements and minerals 
That now make you desirable

but Greenland’s what you are,
and you’re happily cold and friendly-like
and Greenland is 
home 
to glaciers
the land
of the Vikings 
and lit 
by the northern lights

When Greenland is all you want to be
It can make you wonder why 
Why change it why change it 
We are Greenland
And we do fine
we are Danish ruled
And we know it’s what we want to be

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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.

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And so it begins … in Estonia! 

We kick off the Festive Fans new season in this small but mighty Eastern European country.  Estonia is a captivating place with considerable natural assets, and, as Mark reminds us, feminine beauty.  Just ask him to name five models from there.  It is no wonder that our film addresses Estonians deep respect for the outdoors.  This is one of the most forested countries in Europe, with over half of its land covered in dense woods, scenic coastlines, and well-preserved natural areas.  

The best journeys often begin in the most unexpected places, so Estonia is the perfect location to launch our third season.  This location not only sports medieval streets and ancient castles, but it is a cutting-edge technology hub.  The blend of old world and modern technology is a lot like the Festive Fans – two senior guys who may have stumbled into a recording studio looking for the bathroom.  

Our new season provides us fresh ideas and possibilities.  We want it to be a lot like Estonia – compact yet bold, and familiar but full of surprises.  Estonia, despite its size, has reinvented itself since regaining independence in the 1990s.  There is a sense of ambition and entrepreneurship there.  Despite our limited niche, we plan to embrace the scrappy, can-do spirit of Estonia and apply it to our podcast.  We will adopt that Estonian charm and love for surroundings, as we take you along on our yuletide adventures to those always curious but less explored places...  Let's have a wild ride! 

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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.  

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We’re sizzling all the way into a Festive Fans milestone moment — it’s our two-year anniversary and we’re inviting you to join the celebration!  

For 50 episodes, we've been traveling the globe and unwrapping the world’s best gifts -- Christmas movies, music, and memories found in so many different places.  We have visited nearly every continent and observed the unique traditions and customs found in other countries. It’s heartwarming to realize how, despite our language barriers and cultural differences, we all still enjoy a festive connection and share a little holiday magic, be it delivered by a saint, a goat, a witch, 3 Kings, or a log.  

After two years, listeners should know that being a Festive Fan requires more than just curiosity.  Whether you've been with us from the start or just jumped aboard recently, we don’t believe the Christmas spirit is limited to one specific season.  You can always find time to share joy, wonder, and generosity throughout the year.  

In a society that likes to highlight those unfortunate traits that set us apart, Festive Foreign Film Fans offers a welcome alternative.  Our podcast is a window into the colorful history and vibrant experiences of other cultures.  Knowledge provides the bridges we need to cross over our perceived divides of race, nationality, religion, and politics.  By embracing and understanding our foreign neighbors, we can focus on finding common ground instead of obsessing over our differences.  As Festive Fans, we should all feel a little more human together.

This is the true reason for our celebration.  So, grab an El Presidente Margarita and raise a toast to the festive stories, laughter, and community that we have enjoyed for these two wonderful years. And get ready for Season Three.  We are still going strong and the excitement is just starting to build!

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