McCook Gazette

Editorial

Is it time for a general holiday reboot?

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Happy Festivus!

It's time to erect the aluminum pole, for airing grievances and exhibiting feats of strength.

The faux fest was popularized by a 1997 Seinfeld episode, but actually was invented by the father of one of the show's writers, who created it in February 1966 as a celebration of his first date with his future wife. Over the years, inventor Daniel O'Keefe's family celebrated the holiday anytime from December to May, depending on the need to respond to family tension. It became "A Festivus for the rest of us" following the death of Daniel O'Keefe's mother.

Seinfeld moved the celebration to Dec. 23 for better focus on the event's real target: Christmas excess.

There is something to be said about a stripped-down celebration -- no stressing out about elaborate decorations on an aluminum pole (Will our pole be shinier than the neighbors?).

Gift-giving is not a part of the Festivus focus, so no worries about whether sis or son will be happy with the gifts, nor scrimping and saving all year or fussing over credit-card bills come January to pay for the gifts.

In practice an American Christmas has little to do with the birth of Jesus, which was pegged to Dec. 25 centuries later to conform with established feasts; we really don't know what time of year Jesus was born.

Somehow, the biblical story of wise men bringing gifts to the baby king has turned into an orgy of consumerism, from riots on Black Friday to long lines at the return counters Dec. 26 and intense year-end spreadsheet scrutiny in corporate boardrooms.

Yes, practicing Christians take part in candlelight services Christmas Eve and perhaps more services on Christmas Day, but most ministers know the minds of their congregants are on the packages under the tree or the food in the oven back home.

With all the anticipation and hype, there's little chance someone won't be disappointed with some aspect of the modern American holiday.