Festivus

A holiday invented by Frank Costanza, father of George Costanza, on the TV show "Seinfeld". Disgusted with the commercialization of all the other major holidays, Frank comes up with Festivus as an alternative. Included in the celebration is an aluminum pole, brutal honesty, and feats of strength!
Finally, a Festivus for the rest of us!

Many Christmases ago, Frank Costanza went to buy a doll for his son. He went to reach for it because it was the last one, but so did another man and as Frank rained blows upon him, he thought there could be another way. The doll was destroyed, but out of that, a new holiday was born. It was called Festivus. No, not feminist, festivus. A festivus for the rest-iv-us..........

During the last few weeks in December when Festivus takes place, families and friends get together at the dinner table and have something called "the Airing of Grievances". During this time, we share with family and friends all the ways they had disappointed over the past year.

After the Airing of Grievances, we get together right in the same night to do something called "Feats of Strength". This is where the head of the household tests his/her strength with another friend or family member. The great honor is given out to a different person each year.

Now for the pole. No it is not a tree. A pole, no decorations. The pole is tall, silver, hollow, long, skinny, and heavy.

Taken from http://www.interlog.com/~porteous/festivus.html

Festivus is also now a Ben and Jerry's Holiday Ice Cream Flavor. It's brown sugar and cinnamon ice cream with gingerbread cookie pieces and a ginger caramel swirl. Damn it's good.

During the second half of the 2000 football season, as it began to appear that the Baltimore Ravens might achieve postseason play for the first time in their history, head coach Brian Billick forbade team members to refer to postseason play by its more conventional name, "playoffs", even finng players who used the Forbidden Word.

Whether this was to make them concentrate more on the games left to be played or was a reflection of some superstition on Billick's part is arguable, and probably doesn't matter.

In response, the players adopted "Festivus" as a euphemism for the term "playoffs", doubtlessly inspired by its use on the television show Seinfeld.

When the Ravens eventually won enough of their games to be guaranteed a spot in the "playoffs", that taboo went away.

But this also guarantees that "Festivus" will live on as a term in football parlance, especially in Baltimore, and especially since the Ravens have succeeded in postseason play to reach (and win!) the Festivus Maximus.