Festivus is an annual holiday that was made popular by Reader's Digest writer and editor Daniel O'Keefe.[1] It was introduced to popular culture by O'Keefe's son Daniel, a scriptwriter for the TV show Seinfeld, on December 18, 1997, in the episode "The Strike".[2] (Season 9, Episode 10). The holiday is celebrated each year on December 23, but many people celebrate it at other times, often to avoid the Christmas rush.[2] The holiday includes novel practices such as the "Airing of Grievances", in which each person tells everyone else all the ways they have disappointed him/her over the past year. Also, after the Festivus meal, the "Feats of Strength" are performed, involving wrestling the head of the household to the floor, the holiday only ending if the head of the household is actually pinned.
Some people, influenced or inspired by Seinfeld, now celebrate the holiday,[3] in varying degrees of seriousness; some carefully following rules from the TV show or books, others humorously inventing their own versions.
Contents[hide]
1 Festivus rituals
1.1 The Festivus Pole
1.2 Festivus Dinner
1.3 Airing of Grievances
1.4 Feats of Strength
1.5 Festivus Miracles
2 Etymology and origin
3 Alternative Traditions
4 Other references
5 References
6 External links
//
[edit] Festivus rituals
Festivus is introduced in "The Strike", which revolves around Cosmo Kramer returning to work at H&H Bagels. He does so after learning that a 12-year strike in which he participated has ended (because the minimum wage has risen to the level of the wages demanded by the workers twelve years earlier).
Kramer becomes interested in resurrecting the holiday when at the bagel shop, Frank Costanza tells him how he created Festivus as an alternative holiday in response to the commercialization of Christmas. Special guest actor Marco Spencer is also involved in the feats of strength:
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![4]
Frank Costanza's son, George (Jason Alexander), creates donation cards for a fake charity called The Human Fund (with the slogan "Money for People") in lieu of having to give office Christmas presents. When his boss, Kruger (Daniel von Bargen), questions George about a $20,000 check he gave George to donate to the Human Fund as a corporate donation, George hastily concocts the excuse that he made up the Human Fund because he feared persecution for his beliefs, for not celebrating Christmas. Attempting to call his bluff, Kruger goes home with George to see Festivus in action.
Kramer eventually goes back on strike from his bagel-vendor job when his manager tells him he can not have time off for his new-found religious holiday. Kramer is then seen on the street with a sign reading "Festivus yes! Bagels no!", and chanting to anyone passing the store "Hey! No bagel, no bagel, no bagel..."[4]
Finally at Frank's house in Queens, Jerry, Elaine, Kramer and George gather to celebrate Festivus. George brings Kruger to prove Festivus is real.
[edit] The Festivus Pole
In the episode, though not in the original O'Keefe Family celebration, the tradition of Festivus begins with an aluminium pole. 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, finds tinsel "distracting". The basics of the Festivus pole are explained by Frank in two separate situations.
Cosmo Kramer: 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.
Mr. Kruger: I find your belief system fascinating.
When not being used, the Festivus Pole is stored in a crawlspace.
[edit] Festivus Dinner
In "The Strike", a celebratory dinner is shown on the evening of Festivus prior to the Feats of Strength and during the Airing of Grievances. 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.
[edit] Airing of Grievances
Frank Costanza starts off the Festivus celebration with the Airing of Grievances.
The celebration of Festivus begins with Airing of Grievances, which takes place immediately after the Festivus dinner has been served. It consists of lashing out at others and the world about how one has been disappointed in the past year. Every household has its own traditions; in one house, the Airing of Grievances consisted of writing the grievances on the fridge in marker.[5]
Frank Costanza: And at the Festivus dinner, you gather your family around, and tell them all the ways they have disappointed you over the past year!
Frank Costanza: I got a lot of problems with you people! And now, you're gonna hear about it. You, Kruger. My son tells me your company STINKS!
George Costanza: Oh, God.
[edit] Feats of Strength
The Feats of Strength is the final tradition observed in the celebration of Festivus. Traditionally, the head of the household selects one person at the Festivus celebration and challenges that person to a wrestling match.[6] The person may decline if they have something else to do, such as pull a double shift at work. Tradition states that Festivus is not over until the head of the household is pinned in a wrestling match. The Feats of Strength are mentioned twice in the episode before they actually take place. In both instances, no detail was given as to what had actually happened, but in both instances, George Costanza ran out of the coffee shop in a mad panic, implying he had bad experiences with the Feats of Strength in the past.
Jerry Seinfeld: And wasn't there a Feats of Strength that always ended up with you crying?
George Costanza: I can't take it anymore! I'm going to work! Are you happy now?!
Frank Costanza: I've brought one of the cassette tapes.
Frank Costanza (on a tape recorder): Read that poem.
George Costanza (on a tape recorder): I can't read it, I need my glasses.
Frank Costanza (on a tape recorder): You don't need glasses! You're just weak, weak!
Estelle Costanza (on a tape recorder): Leave him alone!
Frank Costanza (on a tape recorder): All right, George. It's time for the Festivus Feats of Strength!
George Costanza: No! No! Turn it off! No feats of strength! I hate Festivus!
Frank Costanza: We had some good times.
[edit] Festivus Miracles
Although it is not an official element of the holiday or its celebration, the phenomenon of the Festivus Miracle is mentioned twice in the original episode, both times occurring in the Costanza household, and both declared by Kramer.
Miracle #1;
Betting Shop Guy: Hello again, Miss Benes.
Elaine Benes: What are you doing here?
Betting Shop Guy: Damndest thing. Me and Charlie were calling to ask you out, and, uh, we got this bagel place.
Cosmo Kramer: I told them I was just about to see you. It's a Festivus Miracle!
Miracle #2;
Gwen: Jerry!
Jerry Seinfeld: Gwen! How did you know I was here?
Gwen: Kramer told me!
Cosmo Kramer: Another Festivus Miracle!!
[edit] Etymology and origin
The English word festive derives from the Latin word festivitas meaning "holiday", and the related word festus meaning "feast".[7][8] The O'Keefe tradition did not have a set date, but would take place in response to family tension, "any time from December to May".[9] However the original holiday took place in the "Past" day before the presentation of presents which fostered altruism in the community when supplies were diminished, and the "Future" which represented the hope of the coming year. The phrase "a Festivus for the rest of us" also derived from an O'Keefe family event, the death of the elder O'Keefe's mother.[9]
The elder O'Keefe wrote a book that deals with idiosyncratic ritual and its social significance, a theme with great relevance to Festivus tradition.[10]
[edit] Alternative Traditions
There are many variants to the Festivus proceedings, of course, and each Head Of Household may opt to alter the events or create their own to reflect the proper amount of ire present in Festivus Ground Zero.
The Lords and Ladies Festivus Group of S.E. Kentucky, for example, start their holiday with the Circle of Fiery Curses which entails a small bonfire that participants stand around and, from the left of the HOH, walk forward and pick up a board or stick from the fire, hold it aloft, hurl curses at anyone or anything not present, and toss it back in the fire. If the stick goes out while they are cursing, the person must immediately toss it and shut up and their curse doesn't go through. The HOH goes last and must end their curse with ". . .and screw all your guys stuff too."
The group also uses hammers during the Airing of Grievances, with each person standing and smacking the table with their hammer on particularly emphatic grievances. Any objection to a grievance may be answered from another member seated at the table by banging their hammer in turn. That person then has 5-10 seconds to jump up and stammer out a retort after which they must sit back down until the original griever is finished with their airings. This can, obviously, turn into near chaos and builds up a healthy appetite for the Feats of Strength.
A referee is usually appointed to oversee the proceedings and may enforce penalties such as eating shrimp dipped in tapioca pudding or fruit cake smothered in mustard. Any punishment for rules infraction (one rule is to thank the Head of Household for maintaining a clean restroom and asking permission to use it with certain prescribed honorifics because cleaning a toilet is often a thankless job) must be within reason and may be matched by the referee or HOH to show strength of character. All alcohol at the L&L Festivus must be consumed from a turkey baster.
Some people, influenced or inspired by Seinfeld, now celebrate the holiday,[3] in varying degrees of seriousness; some carefully following rules from the TV show or books, others humorously inventing their own versions.
Contents[hide]
1 Festivus rituals
1.1 The Festivus Pole
1.2 Festivus Dinner
1.3 Airing of Grievances
1.4 Feats of Strength
1.5 Festivus Miracles
2 Etymology and origin
3 Alternative Traditions
4 Other references
5 References
6 External links
//
[edit] Festivus rituals
Festivus is introduced in "The Strike", which revolves around Cosmo Kramer returning to work at H&H Bagels. He does so after learning that a 12-year strike in which he participated has ended (because the minimum wage has risen to the level of the wages demanded by the workers twelve years earlier).
Kramer becomes interested in resurrecting the holiday when at the bagel shop, Frank Costanza tells him how he created Festivus as an alternative holiday in response to the commercialization of Christmas. Special guest actor Marco Spencer is also involved in the feats of strength:
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![4]
Frank Costanza's son, George (Jason Alexander), creates donation cards for a fake charity called The Human Fund (with the slogan "Money for People") in lieu of having to give office Christmas presents. When his boss, Kruger (Daniel von Bargen), questions George about a $20,000 check he gave George to donate to the Human Fund as a corporate donation, George hastily concocts the excuse that he made up the Human Fund because he feared persecution for his beliefs, for not celebrating Christmas. Attempting to call his bluff, Kruger goes home with George to see Festivus in action.
Kramer eventually goes back on strike from his bagel-vendor job when his manager tells him he can not have time off for his new-found religious holiday. Kramer is then seen on the street with a sign reading "Festivus yes! Bagels no!", and chanting to anyone passing the store "Hey! No bagel, no bagel, no bagel..."[4]
Finally at Frank's house in Queens, Jerry, Elaine, Kramer and George gather to celebrate Festivus. George brings Kruger to prove Festivus is real.
[edit] The Festivus Pole
In the episode, though not in the original O'Keefe Family celebration, the tradition of Festivus begins with an aluminium pole. 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, finds tinsel "distracting". The basics of the Festivus pole are explained by Frank in two separate situations.
Cosmo Kramer: 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.
Mr. Kruger: I find your belief system fascinating.
When not being used, the Festivus Pole is stored in a crawlspace.
[edit] Festivus Dinner
In "The Strike", a celebratory dinner is shown on the evening of Festivus prior to the Feats of Strength and during the Airing of Grievances. 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.
[edit] Airing of Grievances
Frank Costanza starts off the Festivus celebration with the Airing of Grievances.
The celebration of Festivus begins with Airing of Grievances, which takes place immediately after the Festivus dinner has been served. It consists of lashing out at others and the world about how one has been disappointed in the past year. Every household has its own traditions; in one house, the Airing of Grievances consisted of writing the grievances on the fridge in marker.[5]
Frank Costanza: And at the Festivus dinner, you gather your family around, and tell them all the ways they have disappointed you over the past year!
Frank Costanza: I got a lot of problems with you people! And now, you're gonna hear about it. You, Kruger. My son tells me your company STINKS!
George Costanza: Oh, God.
[edit] Feats of Strength
The Feats of Strength is the final tradition observed in the celebration of Festivus. Traditionally, the head of the household selects one person at the Festivus celebration and challenges that person to a wrestling match.[6] The person may decline if they have something else to do, such as pull a double shift at work. Tradition states that Festivus is not over until the head of the household is pinned in a wrestling match. The Feats of Strength are mentioned twice in the episode before they actually take place. In both instances, no detail was given as to what had actually happened, but in both instances, George Costanza ran out of the coffee shop in a mad panic, implying he had bad experiences with the Feats of Strength in the past.
Jerry Seinfeld: And wasn't there a Feats of Strength that always ended up with you crying?
George Costanza: I can't take it anymore! I'm going to work! Are you happy now?!
Frank Costanza: I've brought one of the cassette tapes.
Frank Costanza (on a tape recorder): Read that poem.
George Costanza (on a tape recorder): I can't read it, I need my glasses.
Frank Costanza (on a tape recorder): You don't need glasses! You're just weak, weak!
Estelle Costanza (on a tape recorder): Leave him alone!
Frank Costanza (on a tape recorder): All right, George. It's time for the Festivus Feats of Strength!
George Costanza: No! No! Turn it off! No feats of strength! I hate Festivus!
Frank Costanza: We had some good times.
[edit] Festivus Miracles
Although it is not an official element of the holiday or its celebration, the phenomenon of the Festivus Miracle is mentioned twice in the original episode, both times occurring in the Costanza household, and both declared by Kramer.
Miracle #1;
Betting Shop Guy: Hello again, Miss Benes.
Elaine Benes: What are you doing here?
Betting Shop Guy: Damndest thing. Me and Charlie were calling to ask you out, and, uh, we got this bagel place.
Cosmo Kramer: I told them I was just about to see you. It's a Festivus Miracle!
Miracle #2;
Gwen: Jerry!
Jerry Seinfeld: Gwen! How did you know I was here?
Gwen: Kramer told me!
Cosmo Kramer: Another Festivus Miracle!!
[edit] Etymology and origin
The English word festive derives from the Latin word festivitas meaning "holiday", and the related word festus meaning "feast".[7][8] The O'Keefe tradition did not have a set date, but would take place in response to family tension, "any time from December to May".[9] However the original holiday took place in the "Past" day before the presentation of presents which fostered altruism in the community when supplies were diminished, and the "Future" which represented the hope of the coming year. The phrase "a Festivus for the rest of us" also derived from an O'Keefe family event, the death of the elder O'Keefe's mother.[9]
The elder O'Keefe wrote a book that deals with idiosyncratic ritual and its social significance, a theme with great relevance to Festivus tradition.[10]
[edit] Alternative Traditions
There are many variants to the Festivus proceedings, of course, and each Head Of Household may opt to alter the events or create their own to reflect the proper amount of ire present in Festivus Ground Zero.
The Lords and Ladies Festivus Group of S.E. Kentucky, for example, start their holiday with the Circle of Fiery Curses which entails a small bonfire that participants stand around and, from the left of the HOH, walk forward and pick up a board or stick from the fire, hold it aloft, hurl curses at anyone or anything not present, and toss it back in the fire. If the stick goes out while they are cursing, the person must immediately toss it and shut up and their curse doesn't go through. The HOH goes last and must end their curse with ". . .and screw all your guys stuff too."
The group also uses hammers during the Airing of Grievances, with each person standing and smacking the table with their hammer on particularly emphatic grievances. Any objection to a grievance may be answered from another member seated at the table by banging their hammer in turn. That person then has 5-10 seconds to jump up and stammer out a retort after which they must sit back down until the original griever is finished with their airings. This can, obviously, turn into near chaos and builds up a healthy appetite for the Feats of Strength.
A referee is usually appointed to oversee the proceedings and may enforce penalties such as eating shrimp dipped in tapioca pudding or fruit cake smothered in mustard. Any punishment for rules infraction (one rule is to thank the Head of Household for maintaining a clean restroom and asking permission to use it with certain prescribed honorifics because cleaning a toilet is often a thankless job) must be within reason and may be matched by the referee or HOH to show strength of character. All alcohol at the L&L Festivus must be consumed from a turkey baster.
No comments:
Post a Comment