PMTvoice

The history of this portion of our blog (The Odd History series) has traditionally been written in reference to widely recognized holidays and broadly used products like ribbon and ink and the like. This week’s edition of “Odd History” however, is being dedicated to one of those lesser known holidays (or at least less celebrated) known as “Festivus.” The history of Festivus is a relatively young one, but we will delve into its’ odd history nonetheless.

Much of my research was done using an article on Festivus from “Wikipedia”, but I will also be relying on my own recollections of an episode from Seinfeld. I will admit that in intially researching “Festivus”, I was under the (mistaken) impression that the holiday originated merely from Seinfeld. I was amused to discover however, that Festivus was actually a holiday marking the first date of Dan O’Keefe with his future wife, Deborah. This first celebration of Festivus occurred in February of 1965, but is now celebrated on December 23rd of each year, as shown on the 1997 Seinfeld episode called “The Strike.” Dan O’Keefe’s son, Daniel, was a scriptwriter for the show. He is responsible for the holiday being made public.

The Odd History of Festivus includes the following holiday traditions and practices:
1) The Festivus Pole
2) Feats of Strength
3) Airing of Grievances

We’ll start with “The Festivus Pole.” This pole was not a part of the original celebration of Festivus. Instead, it was introduced by the character Frank Costanza (the father of the character George Costanza.) This pole is made out of aluminum. A true Festivus Pole is displayed with no decoration of any sort. In Frank’s own words:

Cosmo Kramer: “And is there a tree?”
Frank Costanza: “No, instead, there’s a pole. It requires no decoration. I find tinsel distracting.”
Frank Costanza: “It’s made from aluminum. Very high strength-to-weight ratio.”

The second observance of Festivus involves the traditional “Airing of Grievances.” This occurs immediately after the Festivus dinner. During the Airing of Grievances, individuals are allowed to lash out at each other, and the world in general as to why they have disappointed the offended individual. This portion of the celebration takes great courage to complete successfully. Only the strongest of families can endure this tradition.

Finally, to conclude the Festivus Holiday, “Feats of Strength” must be observed. The tradition of “Feats of Strength” involves the head of the household challenging a person of their choosing, to a wrestling match. The person that has been challenged has the opportunity to decline the challenge if they have something else they have to do, like work…or brush their teeth. However, tradition dictates that Festivus cannot end until the head of the household is successfully pinned to the ground. If the person that has been challenged fails to pin the head of the household, they are ejected from the Festivus celebration.

I trust that you’ve enjoyed this edition of “Odd History.” A very Happy Festivus to you (if you are still happy after your airing of grievances), and…since I can’t help it: Merry Christmas as well!