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Festivus
History, According To Frank Costanza
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Frank Costanza: Many Christmases
ago, I went to buy a doll for my son. I reached for the last
one they had, but so did another man. As I rained blows upon
him, I realized there had to be another way.
Cosmo Kramer: What happened to the doll?
Frank Costanza: It was destroyed. But out of that a new holiday
was born
. . . a Festivus for the rest of us!
Cosmo Kramer: That must've been some kind of doll. |
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Festivus
Trivia
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| Festivus was first debuted
on "The Strike" episode of the hit sitcom Seinfeld,
aired on December 17th, 1997. The acutal holiday is celebrated
every year on December 23rd and was created in despair of
the commercialization of Christmas.
In place of an aromatic, flush evergreen as a Christmas
tree, Festivus followers use an aluminum pole. A traditional
Festivus celebration consists of the following: first, families
and friends take part in the "Airing of Grievances,"
where everyone vents their hostilities towards each other.
After a nice meal of meat loaf or spaghetti in red sauce,
it is time for the "Feats of Strength." To take
part in the "Feats of Strength," one must be chosen
by the head of the household. The chosen one must then fight
the head until he/she is wrestled to the ground and admits
defeat.
Seinfeld writer Daniel O'Keefe's father found Festivus
in a book that outlined observed holidays published in 1966.
Since the episode in 1997, Festivus has become a renowned
holiday that is celebrated by many. Here are some examples:
Ben and Jerry had an ice cream flavor dubbed Festivus,
but renamed it "Gingerbread Cookie" in 2001 for
reasons unknown.
Festivus is the name of a red wine produced by Grape Ranch
Vineyards in Okalahoma.
Its holiday song, "Oh Festivus," was first sung
in Dallas, TX to the tune of "O, Canada."
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Other
Things To Know About Festivus
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In the 2000 NFL season, the Baltimore Ravens head coach
Brian Billick didn't allow the team to use the "P-Word"
(Playoffs- for those who are football ignorant), until the
team got there. In its place, they had to use the word Festivus.
The Ravens referred to the Superbowl as the "Festivus
Maximus," and actually went on to defeat the New York
Giants 34-7 in Superbowl XXXV.
The 2006 Baltimore City Department of Public Works calendar
highlights Festivus Appreciation Day. Seems like those Baltimorians
really enjoy the merriments of Festivus.
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