Der Belsnickel
The Belsnickel is an old world Christmastime legend, but unlike Santa, in addition to rewarding the good children, he punishes the bad ones. Once relegated to history, the Belsnickel is […]
Christmas
Beware Der Belsnickel!
Like Krampus, the Belsnickel is another dastardly Yuletide figure. But unlike Krampus, an encounter with Der Belsnickel isn’t fatal. With his origins in southwestern Germany, the Belsnickel made his way
Mission 151 – Christmas Spirits 2013
In Mission 151 we explore the history of Santa Claus, Christmas, and the darker Yuletide creatures that lurk this time of year in an Oddball roundtable. How old is Santa?
Christmas in Newtown, Connecticut
The ancient Mayans are right: The world ends this week. That doesn’t mean I’m not making plans for any event beyond December 21st. In fact, my family just decided that
Santa is a Legend Not a Lie
My friend Al told me he was struggling with telling his four-year-old daughter about Santa Claus. “It’s the only lie I’ve ever told her,” he said. I too have a