Filled as I am with good cheer (80 proof), and since the subject of
Festivus did come up, I thought I would share with the list what scant
historical knowledge there is of this important, though little known,
holiday.
 
The origins of Festivus are obscure. It generally is thought that the
beginnings of the holiday can be traced to the early peoples of Asia
Minor, where it evolved from festivals marking the advent of the winter
solstice. From there, the observance spread to Persia and other parts of
west Asia. The holiday is mentioned in the writings of the Greek historian
Eurypterides, in connection with the Atlantis legend, leading some
scholars to place the origins of Festivus much further back in antiquity.
The Roman, Flatus the Elder, writing in the 2nd century B.C., suggested
that the celebration was Etruscan in origin. In any case, the observance
of Festivus was firmly entrenched in southern Europe by about 200 B.C.
(the name Festivus derives from the Latin for "party hardy"), subsequently
spreading northward among the various Celtic tribes early in the first
millennium A.D.; in the process, the festival became imbued with new
rituals and symbols (e.g., the Festivus pole). Generally banned in
Europe during the dark ages because of its pagan origins, Festivus was
revived in the more open intellectual climate of the Renaissance. The
holiday made its way to North America during the great era of European
colonization in the 17th and 18th centuries. Some modern thinkers suggest
that Festivus, with its nonsensical customs and lack of foundation in any
recognizable religion, is the perfect holiday for a secular age. (The
American Civil Liberties Union thus far has not seen fit to challenge the
few municipalities that have put up Festivus displays on public property.)
 
In keeping with the spirit of this season of hope and good vibes,
whatever your persuasion, inclination, delusion, or direction in life,
may you have a merry Christmas, happy Chanukah, remarkable Ramadan, kool
Kwanza, and/or, of course, a festive Festivus.
 
*************************************************************************
Tom Culliney    Hawaii Dept. of Agriculture, Division of Plant Industry,
1428 South King St., Honolulu, HI 96814, U.S.A.
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
Telephone: 808-973-9528
FAX: 808-973-9533
 
"To a rough approximation and setting aside vertebrate chauvinism, it can
   be said that essentially all organisms are insects."--R.M. May (1988)
"Bugs are not going to inherit the earth. They own it now. So we might as
   well make peace with the landlord."--T. Eisner (1989)