Happy Festivus! We asked Portlanders to air their grievances

As we gear up for Christmas and Hanukkah this week, let’s not forget the holiday on December 23rd: Festivus.

Think of Festivus as your invitation to be a little grumpy during the holiday season.

The fictional holiday was first introduced to Americans in a 1997 episode of the sitcom “Seinfeld,” where we learn that George Costanza’s father celebrates Festivus as an alternative to traditional December celebrations, which he finds too religious or commercial.

Traditional Festivus elements include the display of an unadorned aluminum pole (in lieu of a Christmas tree), “feats of strength” (which in the TV show primarily includes wrestling), and “airing grievances.”

“I’ve got a lot of problems with you guys,” shouts Frank Costanza during a Festivus dinner.

This year, we felt it might be scathing to give Portlanders a chance to air a few of their own grievances. We visited Tuba Christmas on Saturday in Portland’s Pioneer Courthouse Square with a microphone and an aluminum pole.

From traffic, to leaf blowers, to the total lack of snow in the forecast, here are the complaints we heard:

— Samantha Swindler covers features for The Oregonian/OregonLive and Here is Oregon. Reach her at [email protected].

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