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Festivus Pole Photos
Does anyone decorate either their home or station for Festivus? If so, could you post photos of your Festivus Aluminum Pole. I'm trying to see what's out there so I can decorate my home appropriately prior to December 23.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jack/dt on
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Ben,
Good to see you coming around to the season of reason. Maybe you'll join in a celebration to the Flying Spaghetti Monster one of these days. I suspect you already have the pirate outfit.
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Permalink Reply by Ben Waller on
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The first one looks authentic, but stole the stand idea from Christmas.
The last one looks suspiciously like a hat rack with the top removed.
As for the GFSM worship, there's no chance of that.
And remember, pirate clothing is primary worn by...pirates.
The GFSM devotees simply copied that custom without actual pirate qualifications.
Arrgh!
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Permalink Reply by WestPhilly on
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Cool T.V. set!
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Ben,
You are just looking for discrepancies. The xmas tree was a druid thing, a celebration of the winter solstice. Likewise the romans celebrated saturnalia with live plants and evergreens and even the egptians brought live plants into their home around the solstice as a harbinger of longer days and spring.
So while an xmas tree may be a symbol of the present holiday, it was co-opted from earlier traditions/beliefs. So really, can you begrudge using an xmas tree stand for a festivus pole? I think it's a great blend of traditions. Now if you want to be a purist about the whole thing, then you shouldn't have a tree, period. Up until around the 18th century, a tree was seen as a pagan symbol and prohibited by the church (and the whole of xmas day was to be spent in church.)
As for the hat rack with the top removed, the better to air grievances. Hats just get in the way.
And I suspect that pirates were simply early adapters with regard to the FSM, hence the continuation of the clothing as religious raiments. One only need look at the apparel that modern day priest/ministers wear during mass/service to see such anachronisms.
May his Noodlyness' touch always be warm, wet and al dente, ramen.
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Jack,
Nothing of the sort...
I made no comment about the relative value of the tree stand for the Festivus pole other than to state the obvious - that it was a Christmas tree stand, and that it was a copied idea.
I'm going to do some research, but somehow I think that the Christmas tree stand pre-dates the entire idea of Festivus. While I'm researching, I'll see if I can find a reference to the ancient pagans using a plastic stand for their solistice greenery.
As for current priest/minister clothing, the ones I see wear jeans and golf shirts to their services. Maybe they want us to see themselves as a cross between such anachronisms as Wyatt Earp and Bobby Jones???
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Permalink Reply by Mike Schlags (Captain Busy) Retd on
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Being a west coast firefighter all my career, I have only seen a couple of these reported poles, typically in museums. To think that firefighters... in other parts of the country are working in museums makes me wonder how one would decorate a pole, in a museum? With that said, and when this question is answered, you will have a better idea as to how to decorate your home. Having museum pieces in your home... very upper class stuff to possess such treasured antiques. Must be nice Ben to be that affluent. Ahhh... some day, maybe I too might possess one of these treasured Festivus Poles. You never know... Santa's coming to town, and I bet he uses the Festivus Pole!
CBz
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Permalink Reply by Fireman Larry on
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just per chance, anyone has no idea what Festivus is....
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Well now... that pretty much makes it clear, thanks Larry, and Merry Christmas!
CBz
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We just took two out of this old station, which was demolished to make room for a new station on the same site. One of the two fire poles will be installed (decoratively) in the new one-story station and the other is planned for inclusion in a memorial garden at our headquarters building.
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We put up our Festivus Pole today. It's kinda' short, but it meets the definition.
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Ben,
I'm going to have to disagree with you. While there is not height standard, my understanding is that it should be an aluminum pole (the 'stand' being understood). Given that your Festivus Pole is currently holding your paperwork, I'd say that it misses the mark. Now if you take off the upper part holding the paper, you've got yourself a table top Festivus Pole. (I might suggest NOT telling people what the pole does the rest of the year.) Good luck with the "airing of grievances".
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After a short discussion, my family voted unanimously to return the Festivus Pole to its routine duties and to simply enjoy our Christmas Tree. It smells much better, for starters.
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