Happy Festivus!

"Happy Festivus" is the traditional greeting of Festivus a holiday featured in "The Strike" episode of Seinfeld. The epsidoe first aired on December 18, 1997. Since then many people have been inspired by the goodiness of the Seinfeld holiday and they now celebrate Festivus as any other holiday.

According to the Seinfeld model, Festivus is celebrated each year on December 23rd. However many people celebrate it other times in December and even at other times througout the year.

The original slogan of Festivus is "A Festivus for the rest of us!" Instead of a tree an unadroned aluminum pole is used, in contrast to normal holiday materialism. Those attending Festivus may also participate in the "Airing of Grievances" which is an opportunity to tell others how thay have dissapointed you in the past year, followed by a Festivus dinner, and then completed by the "Feats of Strength" where the head of the houshold must be pinned. All of these tradtions are based upon the events in the Seinfeld episode.



Main elements of Festivus
The Airing of GrievancesThe Festivus celebration as described on Seinfeld includes four major components:

The Festivus Pole: The Costanzas' tradition begins with an aluminum pole, which Frank praises for its "very high strength-to-weight ratio." During Festivus, the unadorned Festivus Pole is displayed. The pole was chosen apparently in opposition to the commercialization of highly decorated Christmas trees, because it is "very low-maintenance," and also because the holiday's patron, Frank Costanza, "find[s] tinsel distracting."

The Airing of Grievances: At the beginning of the Festivus dinner, each participant tells friends and family of all the instances where they disappointed him or her that year. As quoted from Frank Costanza: "I've got a lot of problems with you people, and now you're going to hear about it!"

Festivus dinner: In "The Strike," a celebratory dinner is shown on the evening of Festivus prior to the Feats of Strength. The on-air meal appeared to be meat loaf or spaghetti in a red sauce. In Festivus: The Holiday for the Rest of Us by Allen Salkin, drinking is encouraged with hearty beer, rum, bourbon, or wine. In the episode, no alcohol was served, but George Costanza's boss, Mr. Kruger, drank from a flask.

The Feats of Strength: After the dinner, the head of the family tests his or her strength against one participant of the head's choosing. Festivus is not considered over until the head of the family has been pinned to the ground. A participant is allowed to decline to attempt to pin the head of the family only if they have something better to do instead.


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Classic!!

Sammi

 

Good luck to any and all of you who plan to compete in the Feats of Stregnth!

 

Outstanding post for all us Seinfeld fans! Thanks and Happy Festivus to you and yours!

 

SO WHO GET TO TAKE ON TERRY FOR THE "FEATS OF STRENGHT" ......not it.

 

I guess I need a pole to start with.



Then this form:

 

That must of been what they were celebrating this year at the republic of Texas rally in Austin,about 11 oclock at night all these poles were brought out and girls were showing their greivances against clothes.

 

A Festivus for the rest of us to all, great post from an extreme Stanfield fan

 

Frank: Many Christmases ago, I went to buy a doll for my son. I reach 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.

Krammer: What happended to the doll?

Frank: It was destroyed. But out of that, a new holiday was born. "A Festivus for the rest of us!"

 

What time is dinner at the Costanza's house?