Merry Christmas and Happy Festivus

Today, on the afternoon of Christmas Eve, I'd like to wish my students a Merry Christmas and Happy Festivus.

I heard on the radio that Festivus was celebrated on December 23 . . . so I'm sorry that I missed it. There is a quick internet movie about Festivus here. For those of you who didn't see the Seinfeld show that featured the holiday, here are a couple of the highlights:

The Festivus Pole
The tradition begins with a bare aluminum pole, which Frank praises for its "very high strength-to-weight ratio." During Festivus, an unadorned aluminum pole is displayed, apparently in opposition to the commercialization of highly decorated Christmas trees, and because the holiday's creator, Frank Costanza, "find[s] tinsel distracting." Local customs vary and you may be able to decorate your pole with non-threatening plain decorations, or ordinary green garland.

The Airing of Grievances
At the Festivus dinner, each participant tells friends and family all of the instances where they disappointed him or her that year. I also found a worksheet for people to use in developing their grievances. I'm already working on next year's sheet.

The Feats of Strength
The head of the family tests his or her strength against one participant of the head's choosing. Festivus is not considered over until the head of the family has been pinned to the ground. A participant is allowed to decline to attempt to pin the head of the family only if they have something better to do instead.

I've selected Caroline for the test of strength. Of course, I had to chase Caroline down first. She has recently taken to nakedness . . . she frequently removes all of her clothes and diaper and runs around very happily.

I hope your Christmas is special to you!