-Merry Christmas, insomniacs! Here's a blast from the past. We hope you're having an amazing holiday season-

How is Santa Claus connected to cannibalism? Which Christmastide holiday commemorates the slaughter of children? How should you decode the cryptic numerology message 20+C+M+B+22? And what's with all of those airborne reindeer? Welcome to Ghosts of Christmases Past, in which Shane and Duncan explore how tree-worship and animal sacrifice evolved into the bizarre, festive, highly commercialized holiday we know today. So whether you're feeling the Christmas spirit or just feeling jaded and grinchy, grab a cup of heavily-spiked eggnog, get cozy by the yule-log, and join the boys as they unpack the fascinating pagan history of Christmas.

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In this episode:

• Christmastide
• Christmas Eve
• The Feast of Saint Stephen, Protomartyr
• Childermas, The Feast of the Holy Innocents
• Herod the Great
• The Feast of the Circumcision of Christ, Octave of the Nativity, Solemnity of Mary
• The Feast of the Holy Family
• 12th Night, Epiphany Eve
• Chalking the Door
• Saturnalia
• The Holiday of Yule
• Yule Boar, Yule Goat, Yule Log
• Anglican Revelers vs. Puritan Grinches
• The Story of the Nativity
• December 25th Becomes the Arbitrary DOB
• Christenmas, Christ Mass, and Xmas
• Christmas Trees
• Saint Nicholas of Myra, aka Saint Nick, aka Nicholas the Wonderworker
• Sinterklaas
• Christmases Around the World
• Reindeer
• Thomas Nast
• Haddon Sundblom and Coca-Cola

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In this special live-streamed double-retrospective, Shane and Duncan trace the evolution of podcasting from its humble beginnings in the shadow of radio and RSS feeds to its rise as a billion-dollar media juggernaut. Along the way, they peel back the curtain on the origin of Midnight Facts for Insomniacs, from the first chaotic and unpolished episodes recorded in a parked car to the latest chaotic and unpolished episodes consumed by a devoted community of night owls, knowledge junkies, and insomniac misfits.

Whether you’re a longtime fan or just tuning in, this is the origin story you didn’t know you needed.

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And we now have Midnight Merch! Show your Insomniac pride and pick up a tee shirt or coffee mug to spread the word!

Midnight Merch

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Alfred Nobel made a fortune inventing things that go boom, earning the nickname “merchant of death.”

But with his own death approaching, he set out to salvage his legacy by creating a prize meant to celebrate peace, science, and human progress. The history of that prize, however, is anything but peaceful.

This week, Shane and Duncan explore the strange evolution of the Nobel Prize, from its explosive beginnings to secret refusals, scandalous recipients, and one prize Nobel never actually intended.

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And we now have Midnight Merch! Show your Insomniac pride and pick up a tee shirt or coffee mug to spread the word!

Midnight Merch

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In the first full-episode MFFI livestream, Duncan opens the spellbook on the roots of witchcraft and the modern movements keeping the magic alive.

So grab your crystals (or your skepticism) and settle in for a tale of treacherous ale-wives, black cats, pointed hats, and centuries of persecution. From sacred symbols to sanitized stereotypes, this episode unpacks how witchcraft was vilified, commodified, and eventually rebranded.

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And we now have Midnight Merch! Show your Insomniac pride and pick up a tee shirt or coffee mug to spread the word!

Midnight Merch

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In this chilling, thrilling, and revealing episode, MFFI explores the internet’s favorite collection of anonymous nightmares. From message boards to movie screens, the crowdsourced horror stories known as “creepypasta” have created legends, fueled obsessions, and, in one notorious case, inspired a real-life murder attempt. Follow along as Shane and Duncan unearth Slender Man, explore Candle Cove, and get lost in the Backrooms of the Internet.

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And we now have Midnight Merch! Show your Insomniac pride and pick up a tee shirt or coffee mug to spread the word!

Midnight Merch

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Back by popular demand (and dark ritual), this Halloween classic rises once more from the archives. Join Shane and Duncan for a deep dive into the strange, spooky origins of everyone’s favorite night of costumes, candy, and cultural confusion.

Lock the doors, light the jack-o’-lantern, and celebrate the season with this fan-favorite episode… now officially an annual tradition.

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Midnight Merch

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Some objects are built with purpose. Others are built with ego, ambition…and a total disregard for scale. In this gargantuan episode, Shane and Duncan dive deep into the most colossal creations humans have ever unleashed on land, sea, and sky.

Prepare to meet the Seawise Giant, a ship so long it could cast shade on a city block. Marvel at Bagger 293, the German earth-eater that looks like it escaped from a kaiju movie. And brace yourself for the Dongfang wind turbine, whose blades are longer than a football field.

These are mega-monuments to human excess—massive, magnificent, and maybe just a little bit ridiculous.

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And we now have Midnight Merch! Show your Insomniac pride and pick up a tee shirt or coffee mug to spread the word!

Midnight Merch

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It began with a shotgun, a missed shot, and a very nerdy debate.

In this record-breaking episode, Shane and Duncan track the origins of the Guinness Book of World Records, uncover the publishing quirks that made it a global phenomenon, and spotlight some of the most astonishing, hilarious, and downright unhinged feats ever committed to paper.

From competitive juggling to tattooed seniors and flaming jump rope enthusiasts, this is one for the record books.

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Support the show by becoming a Midnight Minion, Menace, or Maniac, and unlock exclusive bonus content over at PATREON

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Join the Midnight Masses!

Become an Insomniac by dropping a review, adding us on social media, and contacting us with episode ideas.

And we now have Midnight Merch! Show your Insomniac pride and pick up a tee shirt or coffee mug to spread the word!

Midnight Merch

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