This episode was ... and that was a great podcast! You might have missed the middle, but that's likely down to user error! And, since we don't want Santa ClausE to know we've been naughty, play along and like the episode anyway.

Merry Christmas to you all! 

God Jul, Nadolig Llawen, Buon Natale, Frohe Weihnachten, Nollaig Shona, Fijne Kerst, Ekeresimesi, Joyeux Noël, Nollaig Chridheil!

Contact us at [email protected] to share ideas, volunteer for an interview, or share a map to your favourite Middle-earth Hobbit hole.

Tamara Urach, host

Blake Shedd, guest

*soundeffects by Pixabyte

Welcome to our Carinthian Christmas special with our host Gert and our guest Alex, both born and bred Austrian Carinthian guys. They talk about typical Austrian Christmas traditions and how Austria is, in many ways, an outlier when it comes to traditions: celebrating on the 24th of December rather than the 25th, getting presents from the Christkind rather than Santa Claus, having smoked sausages and sauerkraut for Christmas dinner, and fleeing the rampaging Krampus at the beginning of December. Alex and Gert talk a bit about Christmas trees and the old tradition of putting away the tree on the second of February (Mariä Lichtmess), which is not as common anymore. One thing has and will forever be the same for Austrian Christmas though: visiting grandparents and/or family, opening the last door of your Advent calendar, and complaining about the first signs of Christmas in late summer (we can all agree it is too early, right?). 

Contact us at [email protected] to share ideas, volunteer for an interview, or offer up a tree from your own yard to prevent Christmas tree theft.  

Gert Ofner, host

Alexander Striessnig, guest

*soundeffects by Pixabyte

The tenth episode of our Christmas series features Petra (who lived in England for several years) and her experience at Christmastime in England. In previous episodes we have heard stories of magical Christmases; Petra shares her perspective on what she fears Christmas has become: a celebration of excessive consumption despite a warming planet and starving children in many areas of the world. Adding to that, it seems as if Christmas has become an increasingly stressful and burdensome season, which traps people in an unwinnable race to keep up with the Joneses (or even do better than them). Petra offers an idyllic vision of Christmas: reminiscing and spending time with loved ones and enjoying silent nights in peace and quiet--gifts so exquisite and of such inestimable worth that they ought to be freely given. 

Contact us at [email protected] to share ideas, volunteer for an interview, or help Cindy Lou save Christmas. 

Gert Ofner, host

Petra Stefitz-Huber, guest

*soundeffects by Pixabyte

Today's guest, Michael, hails from Hamilton, a hemisphere away on the North Island of New Zealand. He regales us with tales of Christmas in summertime, complete with barbecues and stays at the beach. He has lived in Austria for 15 years, so we also get to hear about his experiences here, in particular how customs from New Zealand meld with those from Austria. Christmas Eve in Austria almost perfectly aligns with Christmas morning in New Zealand - in order to manage the delivery of gifts, the Christkind and Santa Claus share this responsibility. Even though snow does not show up for Christmas in New Zealand (only fake snow), the season is marked by the blooming of the pōhutukawa, a tree with beautiful flowers that is also known as New Zealand Christmas tree.

Contact us at ⁠[email protected]⁠ to share ideas, volunteer for an interview, or schedule your timeshare vacation in Hobbiton.

Blake Shedd, host

Tamara Urach, host

Michael Rodgers, guest

Louise, secret guest

*soundeffects by Pixabyte

Welcome to our eighth episode on Christmas traditions! Hailing from Scotland but at home in Carinthia for over four decades, Rachel joins us today to tell us about the practices associated with Christmas and Hogmanay in Scotland. We also learn a bit about Rachel's experiences with Christmas in Austria (where she got the best ever Christmas present just over thirty years ago!) and the influence of other cultures (Scandinavian, German, etc.) on Christmas in the UK. An official holiday only since 1958 in Scotland, Christmas there might not be the over-the-top yulestravaganza you might know from Hollywood movies, but it still offers a moment of quiet reflection with family to brighten a dark time of year. So, sit back, relax, and tune in to find out the meaning of the phrase: "Lang may yer lum reek!" (& we hope it does!)

Contact us at ⁠[email protected]⁠ to share ideas, volunteer for an interview, or cosplay as a Viking Santa Claus.

Blake Shedd, host

Tamara Urach, host

Rachel Braidwood Köberl, guest

*soundeffects by Pixabyte

Representing our dear neighbours from Italy in our Christmas podcast series, Marta joins us on air today to talk about Christmas traditions in her home country. Rather than Santa Claus -- or Babbo Natale, as he is called in Italian -- the spotlight is on two women during the the festive season: Santa Lucia, who heralds the beginning of the celebrations on December 13, and Befana, who marks the end of Christmas with a big bonfire, the bruciare la vecchia (en. burning of the old woman), something reminiscent of originally Celtic practices -- power to the women! ;) In Italy, Christmas traditions can vary from region to region, as Marta tells us -- but in Verona/Veneto, where she is from, you usually wear red during Christmas and New Year's for good luck, and you eat loads of good food (primo, secondo, terzo, ... piatto) like tortellini, boiled meat, and most importantly: sweets like pasta frolla, pandoro, and mandorlato.

Contact us at ⁠[email protected]⁠ to share ideas, volunteer for an interview, or to hand in your wish list for Santa Lucia and Befana.

Tamara Urach, host

Marta Degani, guest

*soundeffects by Pixabyte

A Visit from the US! 'Twas the night before Christmas, ... when Matthew came in to talk about the holidays in the United States with us--well, more or less, since Christmas traditions can vary in such a huge country with so many different climates, cultures, and communities. Matthew tells us about his personal experience during the holidays with his family while growing up in Boone, North Carolina, where he had to drive long distances to meet with his extended family (often celebrating with over a hundred relatives!). Since his parents are German teachers, Matthew grew up with the some traditions typically found in Austria and Germany. Ever since moving to Carinthia to pursue his studies, he has grown to cherish these memories even more. This year, he'll be spending Christmas in Austria, which is bound to be a bit more quiet than a giant family reunion--celebrating with his brother, going to Christmas markets, and thinking of the song I'll Be Home For Christmas, with the last melancholic line "... if only in my dreams."

Contact us at ⁠[email protected]⁠ to share ideas, volunteer for an interview, or suggest alternate titles for Kevin - Allein in New York in English.

Tamara Urach, host

Gert Ofner, host

Matthew Hellenbrand, guest

*soundeffects by Pixabyte

Bonjour et bienvenue to our fifth episode surrounding Christmas. While our host Tamara might already be overwhelmed with Christmas, her good friend and today's guest Frédérick can NOT get enough of it! She's Canadian, after all, and Canadians are really crazy about the holidays: So much so that they decided to celebrate Christmas twice a year and introduced "Christmas in July" as Frédérick tells us--a camping trip including gift-giving, sunscreen, and Christmas trees--can you believe it?! During 'real' Christmas, however, Frédérick misses not only her family in Canada but also some snow, which is still quite common in Quebec. Yet, she really enjoys Austrian Christmas markets and likes to overwhelm her husband with Christmas festivities--stay strong my friend! ;)

Contact us at ⁠[email protected]⁠ to share ideas, volunteer for an interview, or lament snowy Christmases with us.

Tamara Urach, host

Frédérick Dionne, guest

*soundeffects by Pixabyte

Home and back again - all roads lead to the village for a banging Christmas in Nigeria as we hear from today's guests, Paul and Ebuka. Both of them have experienced Christmas in Europe, specifically Germany and Austria, and we hear how much they enjoyed the Weihnachtsmärkte. You'll hear about the Masquerade festival associated with Christmas in Nigeria (Krampus, watch out!) as well as the joy of giving presents to everyone in your extended family (and naturally of receiving gifts as well). While the food traditions associated with Christmas in Austria might differ from those in Nigeria (Ebuka tells us about the rice-based dishes integral to Christmas), it's clear from their recollection from Christmases passed that family and the spirit of giving are hallmarks of a Nigerian Christmas.

Contact us at ⁠[email protected]⁠ to share ideas, volunteer for an interview, or to sing Silent Night (lyrics and music indeed by two Austrians) with Paul and Blake.

Blake Shedd, host

Tamara Urach, host

Paul Ichoku, guest

Ebuka Ezigbo, guest

*soundeffects by Pixabyte

*audio problems sponsored by Rock my Worlds of English

Directly from Spain, arriving on a Steamboat, Iris joins us today to talk about Dutch Christmas - no, wait! I got that completely mixed up. My office colleague Iris is in today to talk about Dutch traditions during the holidays in her birth country, the Netherlands, specifically the celebration of Pakjesavond on December 5th instead of Christmas Day - since they are pretty much too broke to buy presents a second time. It is Sinterklaas who brings children loads of presents on his white horse with his many helpers, the Zwarte Pieten (yes, this is problematic). However, I feel like the Dutch have not yet figured out the concept of punishment for people who do not behave: Unlike the Austrian tradition involving Krampus, who will simply lock you up, stuff you in his bag, and/or hit you with his birch rod (now THAT is a lovely and unproblematic tradition! /s), the Dutch send you on a free trip to sunny Spain! Where the heck is the downside to that? Well, Dutch kids seem to be quite nice anyways, singing songs like Zie Ginds Komt De Stoomboot to welcome the Pakjesboot to the Netherlands.

Contact us at ⁠[email protected]⁠ to share ideas, volunteer for an interview, or get recommendations for your (free) trip to Spain.

Tamara Urach, host

Iris van der Horst, guest

*soundeffects by Pixabyte