Festivus! Trivia Quiz

Answer: February

Daniel O'Keefe, father of Dan O'Keefe, the writer on "Seinfeld" responsible for introducing Festivus to the masses, first celebrated Festivus in February of 1966, as a celebration of his first date with his future wife. The tradition evolved during the 1970s, and gained further details of its current form via developments claimed in "Seinfeld" as being part of the Costanza family tradition.

Answer: Springfield, IL

Mike and Matt Tennenhouse obtained a permit for a Festivus display in the rotunda of the Springfield, IL Capitol building from December 19 through December 31, 2008. The Festivus pole and an accompanying sign urging a public 'Airing of Grievances' were displayed alongside the more traditional Christmas tree and a large menorah.

Answer: For the Rest of Us

Joel Kopische's "Oh Festivus" is set to the tune of "Oh Canada".
Muthafudgical's "Festivus Holiday Song" is described as,'A Holiday Song we all can enjoy. It is sung by elves drunk on cheap American beer. It is a Festivus for the rest of us.' Several animated clips can be found on youtube.
Here are some of the lyrics from Adam Parke's "Gather 'Round the Pole", including suitably mysterious reference to a snail and 1844, as well as to an alternative Feat of Strength, the tossing of the washers:
"Back in eighteen forty-four
The Festivus snail was heard to roar.
That ol' snail sure caused a fuss.
His roar brought us Festivus.
chorus:
Gather 'round the pole, young wishers.
Gather 'round to toss your washers.
Gather 'round the rest of us.
The time has come for Festivus."

Answer: Too easily made glad?

According to the younger Dan O'Keefe, "Most of the Festivi had a theme. One was, 'Is there a light at the end of the tunnel?'; another was, 'Too easily made glad?'." Clearly, the choice of an appropriate theme sets the tone for the entire event. Another ambiguous O'Keefe memory involves a clock in a bag, the symbolism of which remains unclear.

Answer: unadorned aluminum pole

The Festivus pole, as described by Frank Costanza, must have NO TINSEL. Commercially available Festivus poles are simple (some being unpolished cast aluminum, with manufacturing marks still in place) and come in both floor-standing size (6 ft) and table-top size (2 ft 8 in), usually with an accompanying stand.

The full-sized pole can also be used as a limbo pole in the later stages of the festivities! Homemade options are also popular, and can include a stack of empty aluminum cans, a fence post, a nail in a thimble (very nice as a memento to distribute to Festivus guests), or almost anything non-evergreen that you find around the place.

Answer: turkey with all the trimmings

According to several internet sites dedicated to Festivus, "the original Festivus meal consisted of spaghetti (or what might have passed for meatloaf) covered in a red sauce." The Costanzas reportedly preferred spaghetti for their feasts. More creative recipes can be found on the internet, including ham with Junior mint and Snapple glaze and shrimp impaled on mini-Festivus poles (nails). Alcohol is virtually de rigeur, and there are specially-formulated Festivus wines (from a vineyard in Oklahoma) as well as several ranges of ales and beers.

But established custom aside, the Festivus meal can consist of whatever you want, as long as it never ran around in feathers.

Answer: at the start of the Festivus meal

This is one of the evolving Festivus traditions. The O'Keefe family originally tape-recorded their grievances as they ate, while the Costanzas shouted them around the table from the start of the Festivus meal. Guaranteed to bring up memories of great family events for all of us! Other variants include having everyone write their grievances on butcher's paper lining the walls, using the refrigerator as a whiteboard on which to register grievances, and writing them on post-it notes that can be attached to the Festivus pole.

This latter alternative is considered by some to be in violation of the anti-decoration ethic regarding the pole.

Answer: Thumb wrestling

The original tradition involved wrestling matches between the children of the household (probably related to their need to let off steam after all the grievances had been tossed around). It has evolved through the Costanza model (in which the head of the household must be pinned by his chosen opponent to mark the end of the celebrations), and now is often a widespread challenge in which all celebrants can participate. To quote Ms Donovan from Allan Salkin's book: "I really didn't want people to wrestle on my floor.

As much fun as that might be, there could be some bloody noses," she says. "I came up with thumb wrestling. ... I built this wrestling ring with elastic ropes and everything. Then I made little masks out of the thumbs of gloves. People go crazy when they get in the ring.

They come up with their own names, and the smack talking begins." A fitting climax to any feast!

Answer: shark wrestling

Other unorthodox Feats of Strength that have been noted as creative alternatives to having grown men roll around the floor breaking your antique vases include holding weights out to the side of the body with a horizontal arm, throwing washers into a hole (a skill in which competitors are reported to develop proficiency with alcohol consumption) and arm wrestling.

The hula hoop title is apparently awarded on the basis of both endurance and dexterity - the more different things you can do as you twirl the hoop, the more points are awarded for the performance.

Answer: the Festivus Fruitcake

A gift card that can be attached to a perennial Festivus fruitcake can be downloaded, and contains the following message: "In honor of Festivus, the Festivus Fruitcake has been bestowed upon you. You must save this fruitcake and send it to another lucky person next Festivus. Display this Festivus Fruitcake proudly in your home. Explain its history to those who stare in amazement at its glory. DO NOT EAT THE FESTIVUS FRUITCAKE! If you consume it, you will have 7 minutes of bad luck. If you do not re-gift this Festivus Fruitcake, a curse will be upon you for evermore. You may NOT re-gift this Festivus Fruitcake to the person that gave it to you. You may decorate the Festivus Fruitcake. Leaving your mark on it is encouraged.

Some suggestions: bronzing, sealing it in glass, painting it, use your imagination. "Festivus for the rest of us!"