Festivus and Champagne!
'Tis the season and if you've still got a few gifts to cross off your list, head on over to the OBC to grab a bottle of bubbly. Grab another to ring in the new year, too! I recently sipped champagne and chatted with Jobe Yoby and Jorge Alem of the Ojai Beverage Company. Over a glass of bubbly, they talked with me about the difference between champagne and sparkling wine, how to open it, the glassware, the different styles, and how it's made. Listen here.
Happy Festivus (for the rest of us)! December 23 is the official un-holiday! But the beauty of Festivus is you can celebrate it whenever you want. More on the history and traditions of Festivus after the jump...
Festivus was popularized by Seinfeld more than a decade ago, but it's been around much longer than that. According to Wikipedia, the episode surrounding the Costanza family celebration was inspired by Dan O'Keefe, who claims to have invented the holiday in 1966.
The non-denominational holiday calls for several traditions, even though it's intent is to scoff at tradition. First is the Festivus Pole, which must not be decorated and serves as the only adornment to mark the holiday. There is a company in Milwaukee selling the poles. In 2005 they sold 250. This year they expect to ship over 1500. I'm not kidding.
The Festivus meal concludes with the Airing of Grievances. Family members, one at a time, are invited to share with the others all the ways they have disappointed you over the past year. When I told my friend about this, touting the many benefits of being the airer, she said, "What's so great about that? I do that all year long!" Today I am at work (since it has yet to be declared a non-working holiday), so I will air some grievances here in order to properly observe Festivus. Dear Boss: You never let me drink at my desk!!!
And no Festivus can end until the head of the household is pinned in a wrestling match. Yes, the Feats of Strength is the most celebrated of all Festivus rituals. My husband loves this, but sadly his attempts to pin me have yet to succeed.
Let's not forget the greatest part of Festivus, the Festivus Miracle. My research is a little fuzzy on this, but I think you're allowed to declare a Festivus Miracle for pretty much anything that surprises you or is unusual. This year, when grass finally sprouted on my lawn (my husband is in the irrigation business), I shouted, "Good gawd, it's a Festivus Miracle!"
How do you celebrate Festivus?
To buy a pole, click here: http://www.wagnercompanies.com/festivus_poles.aspx
Full disclosure, I adapted this from a blog post I wrote a couple years ago (for another blog).
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