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Libertyville Man Sells Poles For 'Festivus'

'Seinfeld' Holiday Features Aluminum Pole In Lieu Of Christmas Tree

(CBS) LIBERTYVILLE, Ill. TV's "Seinfeld" might have come up with the idea of the alternate Christmas holiday, Festivus, but 10 years later it's a Chicago-area man who is gradually making it a tradition for some American families.

As WBBM Newsradio 780's Regine Schlesinger reports, Tony Leto, who lives in Libertyville and works for an industrial supply company in Milwaukee, went to school with comedian Jerry Seinfeld and was always a fan of the TV series.

Two years ago, Leto went to his boss with the idea of manufacturing a Festivus pole, made of aluminum and mounted on a base.

So the Wagner companies of Milwaukee starting producing the pole. Last year, the company sold 250 Festivus poles.

This year, it's already up to 550 and still counting.

A six-foot Festivus pole costs $38. A smaller tabletop model is $30.

Regine Schlesinger, WBBM 780

(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)



I can't believe someone's actually making money off of this, WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THIS? :p



for those of you unfamiliar with Festivus http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaeQz5HwfoI

Oddly enough, when I saw the title of this thread the first thing I thought of was George Costanza and Festivus.

I was somewhat surprised to see that's what it was actually about...

Festivus for the rest of us!

Careful, if Jessie gets wind of something from Seinfeld earning money, he's bound to file all kinds of complaints because Kramer's the Grand Wizard. :rolleyes:

Get a load of THIS WEBSITE (http://festivusstl.com/site/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17&Itemid=29).


Festivus Events!
Downtown St. Louis Merchants are ushering in the holiday season with a two-day Festivus Holiday Shopping Preview on December 1st and 2nd, complete with traditional celebrations involving the aluminum Festivus pole, Airing of Grievances, and Feats of Strength. While these may not be in your regular rotation of holiday happenings, for a surprising number of people across the country, these traditions are as seasonally important as Christmas trees and menorahs.
Festivus was introduced to popular culture in 1997 during an episode of “Seinfeld.” Weary of the rampant consumerism of Christmas, character Frank Costanza invented an alternative holiday with unusual traditions. The offbeat holiday struck a chord with many viewers and a cult phenomenon was born. Festivus actually predates “Seinfeld” by about 2300 years. In the 3rd century B.C., Roman comic poet Plautus used the Latin word Festivus to refer to the wild celebrations attended by average citizens cutting loose on religious holidays. Despite this early debut of Festivus, the holiday did not appear again until 1966 when the father of Daniel O’Keefe, future “Seinfeld” writer, crafted a unique family holiday with untraditional practices such as the wrestling of the household head to the ground. Keefe introduced the holiday into “Seinfeld” lore in 1997, and a cult phenomenon was born. According to Keefe, the only tradition that was made up by the show’s writers was the decorated Festivus pole – everything else was taken directly from his family celebrations.
The Downtown St. Louis Merchants Association has planned a Festivus celebration that would please Mr. Keefe and even Frank Costanza. They invite everyone to join in the fun of Festivus, a holiday celebration for us all. St. Louis Downtown Merchant members include specialty retailers such as Casa Semplice, a special place for people who are passionate about cooking and entertaining at home, St. Louis Union Station, a national historic landmark and Macro Sun International, a center for international fashions, hand-crafted jewelry, and home décor.

Transportation will be easy and fun, with choices ranging from free shuttle buses to festive carriage rides for just $5 per person. Shopping previews and discount shopping will be featured at some merchants, with a portion of each sale benefiting the retailer’s charity of choice. Art galleries will feature artist openings on Friday, December 1st from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM and Special events at participating retailers December 2nd 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM.