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Happy Festivus! The Holiday For the Rest of Us

by Jon Azpiri | December 23, 2008 at 10:59 am

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December 23 is a time to celebrate Festivus for the rest of us. So break out your metal poles, air those grievances, and brace yourself for some feats of strength.

Originally inspired by an episode of Seinfeld, Festivus has grown into a full-blown secular holiday, thanks largely to a huge online community of people who find tinsel distracting. The holiday has spawned countless websites, and even Festivus cards.

For those who haven't seen the episode, there are some basic Festivus rules:

-The Airing of Grievances Each person tells everyone else all the ways they have disappointed him or her over the past year. Preferably, the Airing of Grievances should begin with the phrase "I've got a lot of problems with your people!" If you need help organizing your thoughts, you can download a Airing of Grievances worksheet.

-Feats of Strength Guests must wrestle the head of the household to the floor, and no one can go home until he or she is pinned to the ground.

-The Festivus Pole Instead of an ornate Christmas tree, the Festivus house includes a modest metal pole with a very high strength-to-weight ratio. You can order your own Festivus Pole here.

Gifts are not really part of Festivus, although people are encouraged to give donations to the Human Fund.

As for the origins of the holiday, here are some choice Festivus quotes from Frank Costanza, the fictional creator of Festivus:

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

Indeed, Frank Costanza's dream of creating a new holiday has come to fruition with countless parties taking place across North America. It's a Festivus Miracle!

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