Ralphs is having a sale on Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. Perhaps coincidentally, there are very few flavors available. While we were picking over what there was (Brownie Batter turned out to be darn good!), I lamented the fact that Festivus-For-the-Rest-of-Us is only available in December.
Mr. Rilch: “What does that mean, anyway?”
Me: “…It’s from a Seinfeld episode.”
A halting explanation followed, in which I, who have never viewed a full episode of Seinfeld, told him that, AFAIR, Festivus was a holiday invented by Costanza(?) for athiests(?) who felt guilty about observing Christmas/Chanukah/whatever but still wanted a winter holiday(?). “…Anyway, it’s great ice cream.”
So how close to, or far from, the mark was I?
Some links for you:
http://www.seinfeld-fan.net/festivus.php
http://www.karber.net/seinfeld/festivus/
It wasn’t guilt, but disgust at how greedy people had become around the holidays.
I stand enlightened! Thank you.
What’s a holiday, after all, without an Airing of Grievances, followed by Feats of Strength!
Believe it or not, that episode just aired. I finished watching it, turned off the TV, came to the forum and saw a Festivus thread.
<kramer>It’s a Festivus miracle!</kramer> 
I’m not familiar with this particular flavor. What’s in it?
Gingerbread and cinnamon in vanilla. (I think. By definition, I don’t get it often enough to remember precisely.)
The Ben & Jerry website describes it as:
Sounds weird. Then again, so is Festivus.
I had no idea it was a real B&J flavor! I must have!
We have a Festivus party every year, complete with bigass aluminum pole (the centre pole of a big marquee tent). Last year, I tried to order a whole case of the Ben & Jerry “Festivus” ice-cream, but the distributor couldn’t get it into Canada for me, despite the fact that they supply about 10 other B&G flavours.
Guess what my topic was at the Airing of Grievances?
“Festivus. It’s for the rest of us.”