Posted on 12/21/2005 11:36:24 AM PST by Cagey
ALTERNATIVE CELEBRATIONS: Pole for the holidays
Celebrating the holidays with a diverse group of friends can get tricky. That's where Festivus, the "holiday for the rest of us," comes in.
Invented in 1966 by a Reader's Digest editor but made popular through a 1997 "Seinfeld" episode, the fictional celebration has been brought to life by fervent supporters across the country - including Clarkston native Blake Coe.
According to the "Seinfeld" episode, Festivus is celebrated on Dec. 23 and is marked by a tinsel-free aluminum pole, feats of strength - like wrestling - and the airing of grievances, during which followers tell loved ones how they have disappointed them during the year.
Though Coe, 24, also celebrates Christmas, he said Festivus is a welcome break from the holidays.
"With all of the things that now make the Christmas season about political correctness, over-commercialization and greed, it is refreshing that Festivus separates itself from that," said Coe, who has been celebrating the fictional holiday for five years.
Coe recently moved to Chicago, but he'll be home in Clarkston for Festivus. On Saturday, Coe's parents, Sally and Ken, put up the pole. Grandma was there, too.
Coe said he bought the aluminum pole - a centerpiece of Festivus celebrations - a few years ago at Home Depot for $5. However, merchants are now selling them online for almost $40. "I wish we had thought of that at the time," Blake Coe said, laughing.
The term "Festivus" yields more than 20,000 Web sites in monthly Google searches, said Allen Salkin, who tracked the figures for his new book, "Festivus: The Holiday for the Rest of Us," which was released in October by Warner Books.
"Nobody else is writing about it, but it is out there - a very deep and widespread subculture," Salkin said. "I think it has to do with a need for tolerance and a holiday where you don't exclude anybody."
Coe and his friends observe the feats of strength by holding annual billiards and video game tournaments. As for the airing of grievances - "we pretty much go around and talk about each other's less finer moments," said Pat Heber, a Clarkston resident who recently graduated from Michigan State University.
Typically, the feats of strength, or aggression-absorbing activities, are held immediately after the airing of grievances, but there are no hard and fast rules, Salkin said.
That flexibility makes it easy for everyone to celebrate Festivus, he added.
But not everyone will. Elizabeth Zill of Frankenmuth, who is featured in Salkin's book, said one Festivus celebration was enough for her family. A few years ago, Zill strung lights around a metal coat rack and presented it to her teenage daughter as an alternative to the Christmas tree the family never bought.
"Oh, my daughter was ticked at me," Zill said, laughing. "George didn't find it too amusing either," she added, referring to "Seinfeld" character George Costanza (Jason Alexander), who was less than thrilled about his father's idea. "I have a George."
That's true. They're both constructed holidays, but only one is not based on a constructed mythology.
Oh my. And here I thought that was just a funny episode of Seinfeld! I didn't realize it was a REAL stupid holiday.
"Hey there Mr. Muslim,
Merry f(beep)king Christmas,
Put down that book the Koran,
And hear some holiday wishes.
In case you haven't noticed,
It's Jesus's birthday.
So get off your heathen Muslim ass,
and f(beep)king celebrate."
Hey, it's a JOKE. . .and even so, has more legitimacy than Kwanzaa EVER had. . . .
No sacrifice? I think you're supposed to have a sacrifice or something. I couldn't afford a goat this year but I'm willing to squish a bug...
HAPPY FESTIVUS! - The perfect liberal holiday.
All you have to do is bitch and blame.
These people are civilization's tattered threads. I wish they'd hurry up and get to the 'Jump-Off-The-Clifftivus'.
This post is all about nothing.
;-)
Merry Festivus to you as well.........ROFL!!!!!!!!
Are we celebrating in class on Thursday or Friday........inquiring minds need to know :)
LOL! For those who don't know that was Mister Garrison singing on South Park...I have the WAV file on my HD...and no, it isn't bleeped...
Damn commercialization of festivus!!
I was at the hardware store looking for an aluminum pole, and they didn't even call the Festivus Poles. They just called them aluminum poles. I was pissed!
I think the Festivus episode on Seinfeld was funny, but if you take it beyond that, you have some serious issues that need to be dealt with.
Not that there's anything wrong with that.
I see from your post and others that we're still in the middle of the Airing of Grievances.
I look forward to the Feats of Strength later.
I would think that we'd do Christmas on Friday, so that would mean...Festivus Thursday.
> It's not fictional if enough people celebrate it. Look at Kwaanza!
Or Christmas.
Somebody very sick came up with Festivus. It is as bad as Kwaanza.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.