Preparing to celebrate Festivus, and not a moment too soon

It’s time to get ready for Festivus, and not a moment too soon.

There are a lot of grievances going around these days with some turning into violent protests, from threatening people at school board meetings to storming the capital building.

People are afraid to post anything on social media, write a letter to the editor, or speak out at public meetings, so they withdraw from public exchanges. They grow numb.

I’ve tried to write about how to exchange honest dialogue, but anything I have offered from how early democracies encouraged fair and free exchanges of ideas seem lost in lies, threats, and unwillingness to engage in discussion.

Instead, we end up yelling at one another or keeping silent so as not to reveal our true feelings

We seem divided, distraught, and dismayed, dependent on fake news and people who think just like us, our own tribes. This is a prescription for societal chaos.

It’s getting so people are afraid to speak their minds in public.

Sadly, having spirited, but not violent discussions, are the heart of democracies.

This is why we need to celebrate Festivus on Dec. 23. It’s a holiday for those who don’t have a more traditional one to celebrate.

Festivus was invented by

TV writer Dan O’Keefe for a 1997 episode of “Seinfeld” where George and Frank Costanza celebrated the holiday.

Instead of a tree or menorah, an aluminum pole is the centerpiece. They’d have a meatloaf dinner, then “feats of strength” in which they arm wrestle one another. Then they hold the “Airing of Grievances” in which people state their complaints about any gifts they receive.

A few years ago, it dawned on me that celebrating Festivus might be a great and safer outlet for airing any grievances anyone has, certainly better than violent outbursts.

Here is my proposal, which now seems even more needed.

First, two aluminum poles would be put in the center

It’s getting so people are afraid to speak their minds in public. Sadly, having spirited, but not violent discussions, are the heart of democracies.

of any city square, set blocks apart, of course, one for those vaccinated and the other for those not. In this way, they could insult one another at a distance without doing harm.

On December 23, people would be invited to dance around the poles, airing any grievances. No weapons are permitted. Afterward, those who want more physical confrontations could arm wrestle anyone with an opposing view. The final celebration would be a Festivus meal of meatloaf and potato filling, separate tables for those not wearing masks.

No less a person than Sigmund Freud once suggested that playing sports would be a good outlet against violence. He said our violent instincts could then be sublimated into higher activities.

Perhaps a separate Festivus holiday could be celebrated in Washington, D.C., between political parties. At least they’d air their grievances and, who knows, even get something done.

John C. Morgan is a writer and teacher and someone who once worked at the state and local levels.