[meteorite-list] OT: Festivus

From: Sterling K. Webb <sterling_k_webb_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2006 20:28:26 -0600
Message-ID: <00e901c7263a$08470820$a925e146_at_ATARIENGINE>

Yes, but...

    Where's the aluminum pole, the clock, the odd
poetry, and the unidentified ethnic music?

    "Weary of the rampant consumerism of Christmas,
Frank Costanza invented an alternative holiday with unusual
traditions. The offbeat holiday struck a chord with many
viewers... Festivus actually predates 'Seinfeld' by 2300 years.
In the 3rd century B.C., Roman comic poet Plautus used
the Latin word Festivus to refer to the wild celebrations
attended by average citizens cutting loose on religious
holidays. Despite this early debut of Festivus, the holiday
did not appear again until 1966 when the father of Daniel
O'Keefe, future 'Seinfeld' writer, crafted a unique family
holiday with untraditional practices such as the wrestling
of the household head to the ground. Keefe introduced
the holiday into 'Seinfeld' lore in 1997, and a cult
phenomenon was born. According to Keefe, the only
tradition that was made up by the show's writers was
the decorated Festivus pole - everything else was taken
directly from his family celebrations."

    The best part is that Costanza created the holiday
in opposition to the commercialism of the holidays,
but a quick Google shows that most national Festivus
celebrations are SALES sponsored by groups of
merchants or individual businesses, 40% off, two
days only... Ya can't get more Seinfeld than that.


Sterling K. Webb
--------------------------------------------------------------------
----- Original Message -----
From: "Matson, Robert" <ROBERT.D.MATSON at saic.com>
To: "Michael L Blood" <mlblood at cox.net>
Cc: "Meteorite List" <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Friday, December 22, 2006 6:55 PM
Subject: [meteorite-list] OT: Festivus


>
> Hi Michael,
>
>> Hope everyone and their loved ones are having a great Christmas or
>> Festivus, Michael
>
> Aha! Another Seinfeld fan! On this very list in the last 24 hours, two
> of the key Festivus activities have been exercised or planned: "The
> Airing of Grievances" and the "Feats of Strength" (e.g. Coliseum Duel).
> ;-)
>
> Happy Festivus to All,
> Rob
>
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Received on Fri 22 Dec 2006 09:28:26 PM PST