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Ten Ways to Celebrate Your First Ever Festivus on a Budget

This year, a lot of people are looking for any reason imaginable to celebrate. With 2020 zapping so much out of people, another celebration isn’t going to do any harm. That is why so many are turning to Festivus. This holiday doesn’t require you to have any form of religion or belief. Rather it is stemmed from the TV show Seinfeld and sort of branched out from there. So, if December 23rd rolls around and you’re looking for something to do, then a Festivus celebration might be the way to go. Best of all, the holiday is so opened ended at this point that you can enjoy it by celebrating almost any way that you please.

1. Festivus Pole
One of the elements of the celebration is a pole. Yep, a simple metal pole. You might want to reference Seinfeld to understand it more, but it is the primary form of decoration for the holiday. You can make your own pole or buy one to suit the holiday. If you choose to put up a poll you can decorate if you want to or not. There are tutorials online to help you get a more authentic pole off the ground, but you can also come up with your own idea to suit your needs. Of course, the pole isn’t necessary, so if you’re not feeling festive like that then you can skip it altogether.

2. Air Your Grievances
When it comes to Festivus, one of the best things you can do is air your grievances. In Seinfeld, this festivity is accomplished by saying things to other people’s faces, but you don’t have to do this if it makes you uncomfortable or you’re simply not ready to go down that path with someone. Instead of doing this directly to someone, you might consider talking into a recorder or just saying it out loud in front of a mirror. This also might be the perfect time to treat yourself to a new journal so you can air your grievances there. You never know, this simple aspect of the holiday might be one of the best things you can do for your mental health.

3. Make Something Tasty
When it comes to Festivus, you can go traditional or you can do whatever you want because the holiday is yours for the making. Traditionally speaking, meatloaf is the way to go for this meal. You can keep it simple, serve your typical sides, and so on. You can also use the holiday to bake something special. You might try a fancy recipe that you’ve been wanting to try out. You can also switch things up and eat something that you know you’re going to miss during the holidays or you can go totally simple and order a pizza from your favorite restaurant.

4. Celebrate the Small Miracles
One of the big things about Festivus is simply celebrating the small miracles that happen in everyday life. Small miracles can be anything from waking up healthy to carrying all of the groceries in one trip without anything breaking on you. Looking at the small miracles in life will allow you to find a lot more happiness than you can possibly imagine. This can be one of the best gifts to yourself and will help you see the true meaning in celebrating everything that you typically would during other holidays. This mentality might even stick with you throughout everyday life, which will certainly do you a lot of good.

5. Embrace Wrestling
If you’ve ever watched the Festivus episode of Seinfeld, then you’ll probably remember that wrestling seems to be a part of the holiday. Obviously, this doesn’t have to be the case, but you can definitely add some fun to the day by partaking in the activities. Wrestling can simply be roughhousing if you have younger kids and will allow you to bond as a family as you have fun together. Of course, wrestling is also a great way to enjoy exercise without making it feel like work. This activity can even help burn off some calories from all of the other holiday fun. Of course, if wrestling isn’t your thing then you can replace wrestling with relay races or other games to keep everyone moving.

6. Talk it Out
This holiday is a great time to talk things out with those that you have issues with. If you’re holding a grudge or you simply don’t like the way someone is treating you, then you might use this holiday to fix the issue. Talking things out can be a great way to begin the holiday season with forgiveness in mind while also ensuring you don’t have anything holding you back from entering the New Year feeling amazing. This tactic can actually help with your mental health while allowing you to feel more at peace with others. It might even mend some problems with family and friends that have been weighing heavy on you for so long.

7. Binge TV
If you don’t want to do anything for the holidays, but you still want to consider the day a celebration, then binging TV is a great option. It is also the perfect way to take time out and do something that you want to do. May it be catching up on a movie you’ve been wanting to see or watching a new TV series. You may even consider binging some Seinfeld so you can get a better taste of the holiday. However, this isn’t necessary as you can truly skip out on the Seinfeld element and make the holiday completely your own. You may even start a tradition that the whole family will love.

8. Make Gifts
Festivus is a great holiday to fight back against commercialism by making your own gifts. You can make themed gifts for the upcoming holiday or come up with fun items that you think others will like. It can be anything from something tangible to a nice poem, too, which will allow you to use the holiday to exercise your creativity. To save money, you should also consider using items that you have around the house to make your goodies. You might find that recyclables are pretty amazing when exercising your creativity. Making gifts can be a great way to reduce stress as well, which is a great thing to celebrate.

9. Reconnect with Friends
Nothing says celebration quite like reconnecting with your friends. If you have people that you haven’t seen in some time, then now is a great time to reconnect. Of course, you’ll mostly have to do this via video chat or text messaging, but it could be nice to have a chat with those that you once spent a lot of time with. You might also consider reaching out to people because it has been such a tough year. It is hard to know where people stand in regard to their mental state, so reaching out could actually save a life.

10. Relax
This year has been stressful. The holidays can be stressful. So, what you might use Festivus for is the time you need to relax. Take in some time alone. Read a good book. Write in your journal. Take a really long bubble bath. Whatever you choose to do, just make the time to relax. In this crazy world, no one seems to have the time to do that because there are so many things to stress about. Taking this time to unwind and find your center can empower you to move into the holidays and New Year feeling more confident about everything.

Festivus might not be a major event and it might not be something commonly practiced, but it is a great way for you to find something to celebrate as 2020 winds down. This holiday doesn’t have to be a big budget or all for show either. In fact, you don’t even have to tell anyone you’re celebrating!

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