Festivus is Back!
Orillia
Festivus is an event that has been conducted at Lakehead for years. If you have ever watched the comedy series Seinfield that streamed on television from the late 80s to the late 90s, then you would be familiar with the term. As someone who has never watched Seinfield, I did some extra research myself. ‘Festivus’ was celebrated on December 23rd in the show, and it showed a side to Christmas that attempts to promote anti-consumerism and anti-commercialism.
If you are like me, I needed more of an explanation. I discovered that there are four main components of ‘Festivus.’ Firstly, an aluminum pole is on display in the house instead of a Christmas tree to avoid any “excessive decorations.” Then, there is a dinner consisting of meatloaf on top of lettuce for the guests to eat. Afterwards, an “airing of grievances” activity entails individuals attending the holiday celebration to air out any feelings they have hidden from others over the past year. Finally, the celebration ends with a wrestling match (“feats of strength”), where the party's host needs to be pinned down so everyone can go home. The concept is extremely humorous and if you want to see a true Festivus celebration in action, watch Season 9, Episode 10, titled “The Strike” of Seinfeld.
Lakehead does its own interpretation of ‘Festivus’ every year. The activities that you can participate in relate to themes of the ‘Festivus’ episode of Seinfield, which immerses us in the Seinfield universe. ‘Festivus’ will come to Lakehead Orillia on November 23rd, so make sure you can make it to campus that day to win prizes and participate in a themed dinner in the cafeteria (Yes, there will be meatloaf!). Some competitions, crafts, and other fun activities will happen throughout the day! Additionally, there will be an ugly sweater competition on Lakehead's social media. So, dig out those ugly sweaters– you could be a winner!
Don’t skip a day of fun on November 23rd; bring your friends and get staff involved! It will be a fantastic event hosted by our student success centre, which always hosts events meant to keep our Lakehead community engaged. Happy Festivus Thunderwolves, and see you at the Festivus event tomorrow!
Thunder Bay
Students at the Thunder Bay campus can also participate in Festivus fun on Wednesday, November 23rd, in the Agora. Similarly to the Orillia campus, Lakehead’s Festivus is an annual tradition inspired by the infamous Seinfeld episode. Stop by the Agora between 11:00 am - 3:00 pm for the LUSU pancake breakfast, cookie decorating, snacks, games, and more! There will also be a food and warm clothing drive (and every donation will receive a raffle ticket for a prize draw). The Thunder Bay campus will also have an ugly sweater competition through the @lakeheadlife social media accounts– so dust off your best worst sweater!
The Argus encourages students on both campuses to participate in Festivus 2022! It’s a great way to get into the Festivus spirit and de-stress before exams!