Finding Authenticity in the Inauthentic

David Chidester claims that popular culture has “authentic inauthenticity” and that “religious fakes still do authentic religious work in and through the play of American popular culture.” Festivus is the ultimate example of that because at the while doing authentic religious work it acknowledges the inauthentic pop cultural origins of the holiday. It uses rituals (The Airing of the Grievances and Feats of Strength) and symbols (the aluminum pole) to create a sense of identity and community. These symbols and rituals provide a way for participants to react against the crass materialism of more traditional winter holidays.

Festivus is clearly inauthentic. It’s a holiday based around telling your friends and family how they’ve let you down in the past year and then wrestling. These traditions and rituals are codified in an episode of Seinfeld, a pop cultural product. Festivus makes no claims at religious authenticity or spiritual truth. But nonetheless, it does authentic religious work by creating a sense of purpose and belonging for people. The knowing inauthenticity and meaninglessness of Festivus’ religious claim is a way to do authentic religious work for people who are let down by more traditional, ‘authentic’ religious holidays.