To wrap up the holiday season, Something Offbeat decided to go all-in on Festivus, a holiday that entered the zeitgeist as a plot device in a 1997 episode of the sitcom “Seinfeld” and has managed to become a lasting tradition.
Allen Salkin, author of “Festivus: The Holiday For The Rest of Us” joined the show to discuss the staying power of Festivus, arguably the most offbeat holiday celebrated during the holiday season. He helped explain why people have continued to connect with it for nearly 30 years.
“They connected with the airing of grievances. The feats of strength and, of course, the Festivus pole, which is the unadorned, you know, length of aluminum without tinsel,” Salkin explained. “And I think the I think it endures because it makes sense to people, because it's a way to come together around a joke.”
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Each week, “Something Offbeat” takes a deeper look at an unusual headline. If you have suggestions for stories the podcast should cover, send them to us at somethingoffbeat@audacy.com.