Monday, December 17, 2007

Festivus for the Rest of Us!



Little known (or forgotten) facts about Festivus merrily and carefully copied from Wikipedia:

  • Created by Reader's Digest writer and editor Daniel O'Keefe, not Frank Costanza

  • Frank Costanza claimed to create Festivus in Seinfeld episode 10 of season 9 , "The Strike"

  • Festivus is celebrated on December 23

  • The Costanza aluminum Festivus Pole was not in the original O'Keefe family celebration

  • The "Airing of Grievances" takes place immediately following Festivus Dinner

  • During the "Airing of Grievances" "...you gather your family around, and tell them all the ways they have disappointed you over the past year."

  • There are no specific Festivus Dinner foods

  • Drinking is encouraged (hearty beer, rum, bourbon, wine)

  • The final Festivus tradition is the "Feats of Strength." The head of the household challenges one person to a wrestling match

  • Festivus is not over until the head of the household has been pinned

4 comments:

sleepybomb said...

i swear, for years this was the family ritual only it was called christmas and we had a 'real' aluminum tree, (with the rotating colored light thingy)... then i saw on sienfeld that it was really called festivus. my mom held the court on grievences tho dad usually won the feats of strength. ahhh, fond memories best forgot...
have a happy merry miss laurie!

Laurie said...

Sleepybomb - HAHAHAHAHA!!!! Happy Merry to you, too!!

Grimm said...

Yeah, we usually have the feats of strength during our birthday celebration where everyone would wrestle the birthday boy (or girl) and whoop the hell out of them for however old they were.

Ah...good times.

Laurie said...

Grimm - Hahahaha! If that's the case, my family celebrated Festivus every Sunday.