Festive Fans Unite! (send us a message) 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 lang...
Festive Fans Unite! (send us a message) 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...
Festive Fans Unite! (send us a message) 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 gla...
Festive Fans Unite! (send us a message) 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 spot...
Festive Fans Unite! (send us a message) 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 cou...
Festive Fans Unite! (send us a message) 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 ...
Festive Fans Unite! (send us a message) 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 th...
Festive Fans Unite! (send us a message) 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 reali...
Festive Fans Unite! (send us a message) In the waning days of the old year, when the sun turned hot and the wind warm, there came word from the South Country. It was said that the Fellowship of the Festive Fans had a mission in the land of the Middle Earth. A spiritual quest was formed to find the Kiwi Christmas. Could it be there, not in the cold hearts of the orcs and the trolls, but in the ordinary folk in the country and the cities? Is it absent, scattered like starlight across the ...
Festive Fans Unite! (send us a message) The Festive Fans take this episode to Ethiopia to answer that age-old question: “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” Well, yes they do. In fact, it’s a lot different than what you might imagine. They like fasting, then eating, then playing a competitive field hockey game played like medieval combat. It’s an ancient tradition carried on now with neighbor against neighbor or town against town. Typically, it is played by men only, a...
Festive Fans Unite! (send us a message) Join the Festive Fans for a little Pura Vida Christmas! Tonight’s country runs on this magical motto. After two years, we are finally making our way to Central America. Our first stop? We visit the beautiful, lush country of Costa Rica. We promise that everything about it will bring a smile to your face, including our featured film from 2024, Paradise Falls: A Christmas Story. It’s a festive tale filled with dre...
Festive Fans Unite! (send us a message) The Festive Fans are on spring break, so we are veering off our main road to take a new scenic route. Instead of exploring a foreign country this episode, we are setting the way back machine 65 years to a magical time of those grand scale, over the top, larger than life films, with a literal army of extras and actors who don’t just act—they command the screen. We are instantly being transported back to Ancient Rome to witness the Biblical dr...
Festive Fans Unite! (send us a message) It’s time to grab all your ex-husbands and wives, strip down, and head for the sauna as Christmas is about to get messy. The Festive Fans are traveling to the Christmas capital of the world this episode – Germany! We are off to the original home to some of our most cherished holiday traditions. Plus, as an extra bonus, we get to learn a lot about St. Martin (the patron saint of Germany) and his special day, so put that in your old shil...
Festive Fans Unite! (send us a message) A talking dog? A racing turtle? Pizza with ashes? A one-eyed bald man? What does this all have to do with Christmas? Find out this episode as we head out to one of the most biodiverse countries in the world to take on the Solar System or the Del Solar System. From the Andes Mountains to the Amazon Rainforest, it is Christmas Eve in Peru -- a place with a colorful history and a fascinating civilization -- and the Festive Fa...
Festive Fans Unite! (send us a message) The Festive Fans get knocked down by the stunning beauty of Latvia but get up again to enjoy the infectious spirit and irresistible charm of the 2022 film Circenisa Ziemassvetki. We travel to the Baltic region this episode to explore a place we knew little about beforehand, a fact but that was never going to keep us down. Latvia is Eastern Europe's best kept little secret -- with its Medieval architecture and castles, cobblestoned streets, s...
Festive Fans Unite! (send us a message) 2025 kicks off in a big way with a big country. We travel this episode to one of the cradles of civilization. It’s a place with a rich history and a diverse geography. Considered to be one of the four exceptional civilizations, it has nearly 18% of the world population, spans the equivalent of five time zones, and borders fourteen countries. We are exploring the People’s Republic of China! This is an ancient culture that has only...
Festive Fans Unite! (send us a message) Live from Crystal Lake, IL, It's Festive Foreign Film Fans! Today's special holiday show is a recording of our first live show at Duke's Alehouse in Crystal Lake, IL. We want to thank Mike and Rusty from the "Snow in Southtown" podcast for letting us use their Vista Blue song "Crystal Lake"! It was a great crowd opener and perfect for our host city. In fact, you will hear us thank all of our friends and family, guests an...
Festive Fans Unite! (send us a message) During this week of Thanksgiving, we are grateful to learn so much this episode, really, especially for a holiday week. We are spending our Black Friday just basking in these hard truths. After a vain search for a Colonial Christmas movie, we really learned what the Pilgrims thought about Yuletime festivities – that they should be banned. Instead, we decide to travel to another area that is equally unfriendly to our favorite holiday, j...
Festive Fans Unite! (send us a message) Greece is the word, is the word that you heard In honor of our good friend Liz Schuh, the Festive Fans visit the homeland and the cradle of Western civilization this episode. We head to the Greek islands, past Athens and those incredible ancient Acropolis and Parthenon ruins, and onto the sun-drenched beaches, the piercing blue skies, and the balmy Aegean Sea. When you have stunning Santorini and fun-filled Mykonos, who needs Christmas? ...
Festive Fans Unite! (send us a message) The Festive Fans are getting steamy this episode, but not in the way you might think. Unless you mean a penis panic. The boys are off to the balmy island state of Singapore where the Christmas celebrations are full of warm memories, but mostly from the temperature. This tropical country is over the top in its Yule-themed festivities, from the Orchard Road Street Party to the Christmas Wonderland at Gardens by the Bay. Bob knows t...
Mario
Viking Jewelry, Rings, Bracelets, Runes to Clothing and Weapons, we are sure that you'll find exactly what you need! Get free delivery right to your doorstep! Viking jewelry, rings, bracelet