The City Council majority was swift to nix Mayor John Mirisch’s proposal that a Menorah Lighting Event at City Hall include a festivus pole. For those unfamiliar with festivus, which until Mirisch’s proposal included two Council members, it’s a fictional holiday created 22 years ago on a “Seinfeld” episode. One of the central elements of a festivus celebration is an unadorned aluminum pole, which serves as a contrast to the traditional Christmas Tree.
A key tenet of festivus, which falls on Dec. 23, is eschewing consumerism during the holiday season – inherently ironic given the $3.1 million the City of Beverly Hills is now spending for the 2019 BOLD Holiday programming to support retail businesses.
