Seinfeld fans: Quirky Festivus holiday gains followers

[babylonsister]

Quirky Festivus holiday gains followers
Those who celebrate Festivus display a pole instead of a tree and air grievances instead of exchanging gifts.

BY JAMES H. BURNETT III
[e-mail]


Alexandra Casuso was only 11 years old when Festivus made its TV debut on Seinfeld in 1997, so when she walked into her professor's office recently and saw a pole in the corner, she had one question.

''He told me it wasn't a stripper pole,'' she says sheepishly -- her first guess because she had never seen the classic sitcom.

The professor showed her YouTube videos of the fateful episode -- where Seinfeld's sidekick George Costanza celebrates ''Festivus for the rest of us'' with his family -- and it clicked.

''My parents -- my mother is Jewish, my father is Christian -- have a Christmas tree set up,'' said Casuso, 22. 'They think I'm crazy. But I have a Festivus pole set up in the house. I also have a huge banner hanging up that says `Happy Festivus!' And I took all the gifts from under their Christmas tree and put them under my Festivus pole.''

The Broward College student is now among the Festivus followers who, like Constanza and his family on the show, feature a pole instead of a tree, air grievances instead of exchanging gifts and compete in feats of strength like wrestling instead of holiday hugs.

more...

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/southflorida/story/823440.html

[Better Believe It]

1. Happy Festivus!

It's for the rest of us.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

2. I got a lot of problems with you people!

[scarletwoman]

3. The problem is, the "feats of strength" part of Festivus is supposed to follow

the "airing of grievances".

The thing is, the "airing of grievances" never ends...

[mdmc]

4. yes!

[Kat45]

5. The Festivus episode was on tonight.

I watched it while eating dinner.