Advent Calendar House!

Welcome to a SPECIAL EDITION of the Piece of Advice Newsletter!

Good morning! Today we are taking a look into the popular Holiday podcast; Advent Calendar House! I was lucky enough to ask it’s creator and host; Mike Westfall, a few questions!

Mike Westfall created “Advent Calendar House” in 2018 as a way to celebrate the Christmas season through pop culture. The concept is simple: like opening a door on an advent calendar, each episode reveals a discussion of a different holiday TV special, movie, or commercial. By December 25, listeners have a full countdown of nostalgic and often surprising holiday gems, ranging from the widely beloved to the nearly forgotten.

The podcast has featured episodes on classics such as “A Charlie Brown Christmas”, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”, and “Mickey’s Christmas Carol”, as well as quirkier picks like “ALF’s Special Christmas” and “The California Raisins’ Claymation Christmas Celebration”. Westfall also digs into pop culture oddities, including toy tie-in episodes and retro fast-food holiday commercials, showing how the season has been reflected in every corner of entertainment.

Guests add another layer to the show’s charm. Writers, podcasters, and pop culture historians join Westfall to share their own memories while unpacking the history behind these specials. A revisit of “Garfield’s Christmas” explored why it remains such a fan favorite, while a conversation on “He-Man & She-Ra: A Christmas Special” highlighted how toy companies used the holidays to expand their universes. Each episode blends humor, research, and nostalgia into a cozy, engaging discussion.

Over the years, “Advent Calendar House” has expanded beyond its December run, with “Christmas in July” episodes and special one-offs that keep the festive spirit alive year-round. Now with more than 100 episodes in its archive, the show has become a tradition in its own right; listeners often say the first episode each December marks the true beginning of their holiday season.

Bonus Questions:

Giancarlo: What inspired you to start this podcast?

Mike: In 2016, an internet pal invited me on my first podcast. I had such a fun time, it made me want to start my own. I chose holiday specials because I would usually spend December sharing videos of old TV specials, and I wanted to have bigger conversations about them with friends. A big part of holidays, Christmas and Halloween especially, for me growing up was putting on a VHS tape loaded with specials recorded off the TV. That’s the vibe I’m going for with the Advent Calendar House.

Giancarlo: What is your favorite Christmas song of all time?

Mike: “It Feels Like Christmas,” from The Muppet Christmas Carol.

Giancarlo: What is your favorite obscure Christmas special of all time?

Mike: There are so many I really like, and I feel like obscurity can be very subjective, but I’m going to go with The Great Santa Claus Switch, a 1970 special presented by Ed Sullivan. It was Jim Henson’s first Christmas special and featured a full cast of original Muppets. Notably it’s the first appearance of the Muppet that would later become the Great Gonzo. He’s a background character here, but it’s totally the same puppet.

Another favorite that’s really only obscure here in the U.S. is The Snowman, a 1982 special based on a picture book by British author Raymond Briggs. I recently learned it is a beloved annual tradition in the U.K., like on the same level as A Charlie Brown Christmas is here. But in my experience, most Americans have never seen or heard of it. It’s really a beautiful special. It looks like it’s drawn in colored pencil, and there’s no dialog apart from one song — only music, and it’s really beautiful how it all comes together.

Giancarlo: Anything new and exciting we should look forward to on the podcast in December?

Mike: My 200th episode drops on Christmas Eve. It’s a surprise.

Piece Of Advice:

Giancarlo: What is this best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Mike: Don’t over-edit, or you’ll never get around to finishing anything.

Check out the podcast: https://adventcalendar.house/

Thank you for reading! Have an amazing day and we will catch you again soon!

-Giancarlo