The Elves

One Strange Thing: True Paranormal Mysteries

Laurah Norton

Paranormalpodcast, History, True Crime, Paranormal, Mystery

4.6 • 763 Ratings

🗓️ 9 December 2025

⏱️ 26 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

It's a very One Strange Thing Holiday as we count down to the season with re-releases of some of our favorite episodes--and a special treat awaits at the end. It's become a holiday tradition for us to tell you this one, strangers. . . though locals tell us that things have changed with the tree (see link below). Still, we enjoy the story: Episode 34—The Elves. Arizona might not seem like the typical setting for holiday magic, but for decades, some mysterious local "elves" have turned a spherical, scrubby-looking desert juniper out on I-17 into what has to have been one of America's more unlikely Christmas spectacles; but who are they, and why are they so determined to light up the lonely landscape? One Strange Thing: True Paranormal Mysteries explores the archives of the unexplained, blending rigorous historical research with a wry, skeptical wit to investigate true supernatural stories and baffling mysteries that made headlines. Dive into our Episode Mystery Archive — a curated, topic-organized source for documented hauntings, UFO sightings, cryptids, folklore, and bizarre true mysteries. Check it out here! https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/episodes-by-topic-mystery-archive Hosted and Written by Laurah Norton Researched by Bryan Worters and Laurah Norton Engineered and Produced by Maura Currie Christmas Tree update: https://www.kjzz.org/kjzz-news/2024-12-05/arizonas-i-17-mystery-tree-is-gone-the-state-balladeer-hopes-the-christmas-tradition-will-return Sources on our website: https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/ Join us on Patreon for early release and ad-free episodes, exclusive stories, and bonus episodes: https://www.patreon.com/OneStrangeThing Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onestrangethingpod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/One-Strange-Thing-114307627035607 Subscribe to our Substack: https://substack.com/@onestrangething We have partnered with Libsyn to handle our advertising/sponsorship requests. They're great to work with and will help you advertise on our show. Please email ad-sales@libsyn.com or click the link below to get started. https://advertising.libsyn.com/OneStrangeThing 2025 All Rights Reserved One Strange Thing Podcast & The Fall Line Podcast LLC

Transcript

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1:01.6	Hey, strangers, as a little holiday treat, we wanted to share one of our favorite episodes with you again.
1:08.8	Add free to enjoy this weekend. We'll be taking next week off,
1:13.3	but we will be running an episode, another of our favorites, that we think is especially apropos.
1:19.3	Have a wonderful and weird holiday season. I'm Laura Norton, and this is one strange thing,
1:32.6	the show where we search the nation's news archives
1:35.0	for stories that can't quite be explained.
1:53.9	Thank you. It's that time again, strangers, midwinter.
2:00.1	Bells are ringing, or jingling, or jangling, or all three.
2:02.1	Candles have been lit,
2:06.7	dradles spun, presents are being stuffed underneath trees,
2:12.8	mistletoe hung, and we, at one strange thing, are in the holiday spirit.
	...

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