Fla. Capitol Gets Festivus Pole— Made of Beer Cans

Pabst Blue Ribbon cans, specifically
By Kate Seamons,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 11, 2013 8:55 AM CST

It's a "Festivus for the rest of us" in Tallahassee this year: The Florida Capitol will likely today see the installation of an almost 6-foot-tall Festivus pole (yes, the invention of Seinfeld) in its rotunda. And it's not the traditional plain aluminum pole, but one made out of empty Pabst Blue Ribbon cans, reports the Orlando Sentinel. It's the brainchild of Chaz Stevens, who got permission on Monday from the state Department of Management Services to erect his pole. He says he wanted to make a statement on the separation of church and state—which isn't exactly evident by the nativity scene displayed in the rotunda.

"As long as it meets those guidelines and there is space available in the capitol, DMS is happy to allow all cultures, and denominations, and committees, and groups to put up their holiday displays," says a rep for the department—which also gave the OK to the Freedom From Religion Foundation's "Bill of Rights nativity" banner, which greets rotunda visitors with the following message: "At this season of the Winter Solstice, we celebrate the Birth of the Unconquered Sun—the TRUE reason for the season." Though Festivus is celebrated on Dec. 23 (marked by the post-dinner "airing of the grievances" and a "feats of strength" competition) the pole will remain up through Jan. 3, notes the Palm Beach Post. (This definitely isn't the wackiest Festivus-related story we've reported.)

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