'Festivus For The Rest Of Us' In Hartford Saturday

HARTFORD, CT — Christmas Day is Dec. 25 and Christmas Eve is Dec. 24.

That much is well-known in American culture. But did you also know that Saturday, Dec. 23, is a holiday?

Well, it is a special day, albeit a quirky one, and the Hartford Chamber of Commerce and an organization dedicated to getting pricy University of Connecticut athletics tickets into the hands of underprivileged young fans is hosting a special event Saturday for it.

Saturday is "Festivus,"a holiday season "celebration" or "anti-celebration" made famous by the iconic 1990s sitcom "Seinfeld," but originating in the late 1960s.

In that famous episode, Frank Costanza, George Costanza's father, brings the Seinfeld gang over for a "Festivus" event, designed to be the opposite of the joy of Christmas, exemplified by a solitary pole replacing a Christmas tree.

Sans any "feats of strength" and "airing of grievances," Hartford's "Festivus" celebration is more, well, festive, and it will feature drink specials, games, shopping, and other events from 5 to 7 p.m. in the city's trendy Pratt Street area.

Joining the chamber in promoting the event is the Husky Ticket Project, a nonprofit group created by Husky fans to help underprivileged youngsters attend UConn athletics contests, which often carry a significant price tag for the major sports.

And, it just so happens Hartford's Festivus event is just before the UConn men's basketball team's big game against St. John's at the nearby XL Center.

For more information on the Hartford Chamber of Commerce, click on this link.

For more information on the Husky Ticket Project, click on this link.

For more information on the history of Festivus, click on this link.