Welcome to our series sharing Unique Holidays” December 23rd, 2022. I would like to ask you to check out the Holidays being celebrated today and to ask you to leave me a comment and let me know which Holiday you most want to celebrate.
Festivus – for the rest of us– always observed on December 23rd
Are you feeling a little left out because you don’t celebrate Christmas or Chanukah? Kwanzaa isn’t your thing. You don’t even know what or when Ramadan or Dilawi days are. Well, you can celebrate this December 23rd holiday which is Festivus Day. The slogan for today is “Festivus for the Restivus!”
Come and experience the joy and the Miracle of Festivus. One might say that Festivus Day is a miracle in itself.
Still not sure if today’s holiday is for you? Festivus Day is non-denominational. Festivus Day is non-commercial. Everyone can partake in Festivus Day. As the slogan goes: “A Festivus for the rest of us!” Which means you, too.
The History and Origin of Festivus Day:
The Festivus holiday was created by Daniel O’Keefe, who found a reference to an obscure holiday called Festivus. O’Keefe first celebrated Festivus Day in 1966. O’Keefe selected December 23rd, to celebrate the anniversary of his first date with his future wife Deborah. His son Dan, a television scriptwriter, brought the holiday to life on the Seinfeld show.
Festivus became popular as the direct result of a Jerry Seinfeld television show episode which first aired on December 18th, 1997. On the show, Festivus was created and celebrated by Frank Costanza, George’s father. During George’s childhood, the Costanza family celebrated annually on December 23rd. On this episode of the show, Cosmos Kramer encouraged George’s father to resurrect Festivus and its traditions.
Festivus Day Traditions
- There isn’t a Festivus Tree. Rather, an unadorned aluminum pole is the symbol of Festivus.
- The Festivus holiday is celebrated with a dinner. Meatloaf is the suggested main course.
- Dinner is followed by a “Feats of Strength”.
- Another popular Festivus tradition is an “Airing of Grievances”. This is where you can tell someone how disappointed you are over what they did or didn’t do during the past year.
Roots Day– always observed on December 23rd
Are you who you think you are? What exciting and fascinating people are in your family tree!? Celebrate your genealogy, today is Roots Day. Roots Day is a great day to celebrate your heritage. Many of us are returning to our roots today, as we head home for Christmas. Returning to our roots is a warm, cozy and comfortable feeling, a sense of belonging.
Many people get caught up, and become captivated, with researching and uncovering their family roots. This hobby is the study of Genealogy. Genealogy can take interesting twists and turns. We often discover our ancestors come from exciting and fascinating places.
We find we are related to famous people in history. Sometimes, we come upon dead ends in our genealogical family tree. Other times, we find a distant relative, who has performed some of the very same research. The result of the encounter could be huge sections of the family tree, literally handed to you.
Be prepared to find amazing facts about your roots. Some will be wonderful, like having a World War II hero in your family tree or discovering and corresponding with distant relatives. Sometimes, you find disturbing things like a murderer or criminal among your ancestors. Either way, use Roots Day to learn about your roots.
Roots, by Alex Haley would be a perfect book to read this year
How to Celebrate Roots Day
- Take an ancestry test to determine your true ancestral roots.
- Explore your roots. research your ancestors. There is a wealth of information online. And, you will likely find some fascinating things about people in your family tree.
- Share your discoveries with other members of your family.
- Give an ancestry test kit as a holiday gift to family.
The History and Origin of Roots Day
We all can certainly relate to the importance and the need of finding our roots. It’s a sense and a need of belonging, that is ingrained in our being. We fully understand why Roots Day was created. But, we have yet to uncover the roots of “Roots Day” and who created Root Day and when?
We will continue to dig and explore Roots Day until we have uncovered and exposed the roots of Roots Day.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
