2024 Weird Christmas Flash Fiction Contest/Anthology Results Show
2024 Weird Christmas Flash Fiction Contest Winners:
Weird Card Winner: “The Study of Owls and the Christmas Contronyms” by Daniel Roop
Unreal Holiday Celebration Winner: “The Mycelial Muffinheads’ Annual Pilgrimage to the Cave of Forget-Me-Nothings” by C.L. Sidell
Stocking Stuffer Winner: “All Eves for the Yule” by A.S. Hahrwort
All the stories: (in no special order other than appearance on the show):
“Nativity” by John Nicol
“The Sadly Beautiful Life Cycle of the Mrs. Claus” by Nicoletta Giuseffi
“Rudolpha” by Nicholas De Marino
“Countdown to Christmas” by John Wolf
“Keepers of the Fruitcake” by Carla Rudy
“Liturgy for the Feast Among the Gastroliths” by Cardigan Broadmoor
“O Unholy Night” by Matthew Reyes
“Northern Romance” by Reva Sherrard
“St. O’Clause” by Lancelot Schaubert
“Advent” by Ben Daggers
“There Was Only Ever One Delivery” by Brian B. Humby
“Santa Hooks Up a Sabbatical” by Paul Lewthwaite
“Canary” by Stephanie Kelly
“Growing Season of the Giver” by J. Rohr
“Lightsgiving” by Greg Clumpner
“Niklaus” by Rosa Meronek
“The Study of Owls and the Christmas Contranyms” by Daniel Roop
“The Mythical Muffinheads’ Annual Pilgrimage to the Cave of Forget-Me-Nothings” by C.L. Sidell
“All Eves for the Yule” by A.S. Hahrwort
Please help support the contest, the podcast, and Weird Christmas website by donating/gifting any and all amounts at Ko-Fi.com (click here). The money from the prizes is all from donations. And the more donations I get, the more I can give to the contestants. My long term goal is to make every story count as a professional sale by most writing organization’s standards. You can also donate any amount through PayPal by giving to [email protected].
A big thank you to both volunteer readers this season: Dustin Pari (@dustinpari, who is always so wonderfully generous and optimistic and inspiring), and my friend Joel who wants nothing more to do with this whole thing.
Usual opening: “O Holy Night” by Tiny Tim, “Christmas Doesn’t Last” by Make Like Monkeys, “Santa Claus Boogie” by Hasil Adkins, “Space Age Santa” by Ross Christman
Special opening: “Christmas-Procrastination Blues” by Tom DeMasters.
Bumper music (ripped straight from YouTube): by Myuu (for the dark piano) and a host of wonderful theramin artists.
Contest results from previous years: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018.
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1:26:50
2023 Weird Christmas Flash Fiction Contest Results Show
Please see WeirdChristmas.com for text and info on all the stories and writers.
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1:32:10
Nisser and Tomtar (Scandinavian Elves) with Benito Cereno
Craig talks with the ever knowledgeable and jolly Benito Cereno about Scandinavian elves, which you're starting to see more and more places in decorations and movies. All links mentioned on the show, along with info on Benito, can be found at WeirdChristmas.com at this link:
https://weirdchristmas.com/2023/12/23/nisser-and-tomtar-scandinavian-elves-with-benito-cereno/
If you’re feeling generous, you can leave a donation at Ko-Fi.com. It’s probably Christmas-time (ish) when you’re reading this, so remember the spirit of the season is giving. And I’m trying not to turn on the guilt machine, but I would like to pay my hosting fees. heh heh
Or PLEASE LEAVE A WEIRD REVIEW ON APPLE PODCASTS OR YOUR FAVORITE PODCAST APP! Send me a note that you did ([email protected]), and I’ll send you a sticker!
The best show of the year: 19 stories of Christmas Weirdness from the annual Weird Christmas Flash Fiction Contest. Please visit WeirdChristmas.com to get information on the authors and to read the stories again.
If you want to support the contest and help make more and bigger prizes for the writers next year, please visit Ko-Fi.com/weirdchristmas to donate any amount.
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1:15:25
Ancient Christmas with Earl Fontainelle of the SHWEP
I talk to Earl Fontainelle of the SHWEP (Secret History of Western Esotericism Podcast). We try to trace down any textual evidence that would connect the origins of Christmas to ancient pagan sources, namely the Mithras cult and Emperor Constantine’s Sol Invictus cult.
Listen here, on your favorite podcast app, or at the Podbean site.
The SHWEP
The SHWEP Oddcast
Music:
"Scriaben Christmas Time is Here" by Kurt Knecht
"Christmas is a Pagan Holiday" by Matt Potako
If you’re feeling generous, you can leave a donation at Ko-Fi.com. It’s probably Christmas-time (ish) when you’re reading this, so remember the spirit of the season is giving. And I’m trying not to turn on the guilt machine, but I would like to pay my hosting fees. heh heh
Or PLEASE LEAVE A WEIRD REVIEW ON APPLE PODCASTS OR YOUR FAVORITE PODCAST APP! Send me a note that you did ([email protected]), and I’ll send you a sticker!