Happy Festivus (For the Rest of Us)

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from your friends here at the Hawk.  And for those of you who aren't in the holiday spirit, Happy Festivus for the rest of us.  Observed every year on December 23rd, Festivus is a secular celebration for people choosing not to participate in "commercialized" Holiday traditions.

Festivus gained fame in a 1997 episode of the popular sitcom Seinfeld, during which the character of Frank Costanza, played by Jerry Stiller, creates a parody holiday festival.  Festivus actually dates back to 1966, when it was invented by an author named Daniel O'Keefe, whose son Dan later became a writer for Seinfeld.

Several customs associated with Festivus include: the Festivus dinner, a sparsely decorated aluminum pole known as the "Festivus Pole", along with the "Airing of the Grievances",  the "Feats of Strength" and the reciting of "Festivus Miracles".