no tinsel? no problem...festivus.

each year, my wife and i hold a friends/neighborhood party to celebrate the holiday season (yes, the holiday season that stresses me out like you wouldn't believe).

at any rate, this year we held our 3rd annual festivus party.  what's festivus?  well, if you are a true seinfeld fan, you'd know.  in one episode (episode "the strike") of seinfeld here was the exchange:

Frank Costanza: Many Christmases ago, I went to buy a doll for my son. I reached for the last one they had, but so did another man. As I rained blows upon him, I realized there had to be another way.

Cosmo Kramer: What happened to the doll?

Frank Costanza: It was destroyed. But out of that a new holiday was born … a Festivus for the rest of us!

Cosmo Kramer: That must've been some kind of doll.

Frank Costanza: She was.

and thus, festivus was born.  originally celebrated on december 23, my wife and i hold it on the first saturday in december to try to beat the rush of company parties, etc.  we also make it a chili cook-off contest and white elephant raffle shindig as well.  for the past three years, i've dawned my same kelly green pants, and this year added a red blazer (courtesy of ebay of course). 

others came dressed ala cousin eddie from the christmas vacation movie -- it was awesome.  we had a great time this year and hopefully those that came did as well...it's a good chance to have some fun with friends and neighbors, i highly recommend it.

this year we also made party shirts for everyone, here was the design (front/back):

the back if you can't tell is a bunch of 'holiday' trees with a single aluminum pole in the middle -- commemorating festivus.  why a pole?  well:

No, instead, there's a pole. It requires no decoration. I find tinsel distracting.
-Frank Costanza