Sunday, December 23, 2007

Happy Festivus For The Rest Of Us

December 23 is the "official" celebratory day of Festivus.

Festivus is an annual holiday that was made popular by Reader's Digest writer and editor Daniel O'Keefe. It was introduced to popular culture by O'Keefe's son Daniel, a scriptwriter for the TV show Seinfeld, on December 18, 1997, in the episode "The Strike". (Season 9, Episode 10). The holiday is celebrated each year on December 23, but many people celebrate it at other times, often to avoid the Christmas rush. The holiday includes novel practices such as the "Airing of Grievances", in which each person tells everyone else all the ways they have disappointed him/her over the past year. Also, after the Festivus meal, the "Feats of Strength" are performed, involving wrestling the head of the household to the floor, the holiday only ending if the head of the household is actually pinned.

Some people, influenced or inspired by Seinfeld, now celebrate the holiday, in varying degrees of seriousness; some carefully following rules from the TV show or books, others humorously inventing their own versions.

Grab the pole...Let's celebrate !!





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