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 sea, faded in the sad and meager lives like the weary world we see in the moving picture called Christmas?
The festive group sets out from a small and stunning hamlet, nestled between the misted ranges and the blue hush of the Pacific. The sun is high and the grass is green in Oceania, not like the world above with its snow and shoveling. What is Christmas in this land? Does it have its own songs and laughter, along with its long and golden evenings?
Along the journey, there are ancient ferns and plants here with many rivers that whisper of old magic. There are no icicles, no frosty panes — only fish grilled hangi-style and sweet wine. We travel to the roadstops, strange but beautiful places with names like Queenstown and Auckland, and the companions are bewildered. There are no wreaths, no sleighbells, no reindeer. Only sunburn, barbecues, sausages, and Snoopy’s Christmas. We ask the same question: “Have you seen Christmas here?”
At last, the company arrives at a high hill above the Bay of Islands, where an old pohutukawa blooms with crimson fire. It is the place where the first Christmas mass was celebrated. The tree stands watch, its bark gnarled with age and memory. Beneath it, is a message, spoken not with tongue, but with the wind and sea, and in a voice as deep as midwinter.
“You seek Christmas,” we all hear, though no voice speaks. “Know that men carry it with them. You speak as though Christmas lives only in a wintry place, with its snow-laden songs. But here, it wears jandals and is found in the barbecue smoke. It dances in the eyes of tamariki leaping through sprinklers. It is summer-born, and it lives in true hope and kindness, no matter the location."
And so, after this episode, the circle is no longer sad for the plight of the family in Christmas. We do not search any longer, we are knowing. Christmas is found in New Zealand, and not with traditional images of snowmen, skating, and fireplaces. Instead, it lives with blue skies, beaches and the sunlight borne by its residents to the ends of the Middle Earth. And lo! It is good, especially for a 50th episode!
Email Address:
festivefans@gmail.com
Instagram:
@festivefans
4F Playlist:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6ccCbuBY0Yi7WAx6F0Gu8f?si=135ea2453ce645ce
Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092522416848
4F Flair Shop (Festive Fans Merchandise)
https://festivefanflair.myspreadshop.com/
Popular Podcasts
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
The Brothers Ortiz
The Brothers Ortiz is the story of two brothers–both successful, but in very different ways. Gabe Ortiz becomes a third-highest ranking officer in all of Texas while his younger brother Larry climbs the ranks in Puro Tango Blast, a notorious Texas Prison gang. Gabe doesn’t know all the details of his brother’s nefarious dealings, and he’s made a point not to ask, to protect their relationship. But when Larry is murdered during a home invasion in a rented beach house, Gabe has no choice but to look into what happened that night. To solve Larry’s murder, Gabe, and the whole Ortiz family, must ask each other tough questions.