Avoid turkey flapping next Christmas...celebrate Festivus instead!

At Christmas time in our house, there are generally two turkeys. The first and obvious one, is the feathered variety whose destiny is to end up on our dinner table come Christmas Day. The other is much larger, squawks a lot, and fusses and flaps about as though being chased by a farmer with a rather large axe. That, would be me! What with cards to send, presents to buy, battling for parking spots and the Christmas crowds at shopping centres, family and other social get togethers, financial strain and the general organisation of Christmas Day, I tend to get a bit frazzled (hey they don't call me panic pants for nothing!). So to save my sanity by not adding another task to my to-do list, I decided to leave my Christmas post until after the event. Kind of a post Christmas wrap up if you will.

Now you'd think by the way I've been talking that I actually do all the cooking on Christmas Day, but noooooo sireeeee, I'll stress for a lot less! Coming from a divorced family, I could alternate Christmas Day amongst various family members (mums, step mums, sisters, step sisters, in-laws, in-law's in-laws, out-laws...the list is endless!) for years to come without having to host the day myself.
So this year we went to my father's house and de-stressed while Dad and his wife cooked up a lovely spread. Of course Christmas Day wouldn't be Christmas Day without the obligatory eating and drinking until bursting point; far be it for me to go against tradition! Needless to say that if anyone ever says to you 'come on, just one more...', say NO!

But when that day looms and I'm the only one left in the family save Great Aunty Nellie to hold Christmas at ours, I'm going to suggest we sack it and celebrate that intriguing holiday made famous by Frank Costanza in Seinfeld...Festivus! For those not in the know, check out this website http://www.festivusweb.com/. Basically, Festivus is a non-denominational holiday traditionally held on Dec 23rd that avoids all the commercial trappings of Christmas. Those attending Festivus get to participate in an 'Airing of the Grievances' where each person tells the others how they've disappointed them over the past year, and later the head of the household (in this case fiance) gets to choose someone to challenge them to a 'Feat of Strength', not considered over until fiance has been pinned to the ground. Suddenly the festive season seems a whole lot more interesting huh? Best of all, there is a feast but it can be ANYTHING, so I'm thinking I'll get Colonel Sanders to cater...cooking worries gone! Don't get me wrong, I'm all for celebrating good ol JC's birthday, but I can still wish the holy one a happy birthday on his big day without all the fanfare. And I might just get my Christmas post done by Chrissie Day! Now if you'll excuse me I need to...hic...go get the...hic...Pepto Bismol...hic!