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Tag: Festivus

  • Marijuana Can Help You Feel Refreshed

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    How marijuana can help feel refreshed and energetic at the end of the holidays, easing stress and helping recovery from seasonal burnout.

    By the time the holidays wind down, many Americans are running on empty. The nonstop socializing, travel, shopping, and disrupted routines can leave people mentally foggy and physically worn out. While the exhaustion is nearly universal, it often shows up differently by age group. Gen Z frequently reports elevated stress, anxiety, and burnout from financial pressure and social expectations, while older adults tend to feel physically drained after weeks of hosting, traveling, and juggling family obligations. But with a week + left of activities, marijuana can help you feel refreshed.

    RELATED: 5 Ways Microdosing Cannabis Can Boost Work Performance

    Contrary to outdated stereotypes, cannabis is not only about sedation or couch-locking effects. When used intentionally, certain strains and products are associated with clarity, motivation, and a lighter mental state—qualities many crave after the holidays.

    For Gen Z, stress is often the dominant issue. Surveys consistently show younger adults reporting high levels of anxiety tied to finances, work uncertainty, and social pressure amplified by constant online comparison. For this group, cannabis is often used as a tool to decompress and quiet racing thoughts. Lower-THC products, balanced THC-CBD options, and terpene-forward strains are frequently chosen for their ability to ease tension without overwhelming the mind. When stress levels drop, energy often returns naturally.

    Older adults, on the other hand, tend to describe the post-holiday slump as physical fatigue rather than mental overload. Late nights, rich foods, long drives, and packed schedules can leave the body feeling stiff and depleted. Many older consumers gravitate toward cannabis varieties associated with gentle stimulation and body comfort. By easing aches, supporting relaxation, and improving sleep quality, marijuana can help the body recover—making mornings feel lighter and days more manageable.

    Terpenes play an important role in this experience. Compounds such as limonene and pinene are often linked to uplifting, clear-headed effects, while others like caryophyllene may help take the edge off physical discomfort. When people feel less tense and better rested, energy follows.

    RELATED: Consuming Cannabis Before Workouts Can Help

    Importantly, moderation matters. The goal is not escape, but restoration. Microdosing—using small, controlled amounts—has become especially popular among professionals and older consumers who want subtle benefits without impairment. This approach aligns well with New Year intentions focused on balance, wellness, and productivity.

    As the holiday season fades, marijuana is increasingly viewed not as a party indulgence, but as part of a thoughtful reset. For stressed Gen Zers seeking calm and clarity, and for worn-down older adults looking to recharge their bodies, cannabis may offer a way to step into the new year feeling refreshed, focused, and energized—rather than exhausted.

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    Sarah Johns

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  • Festivus Grew From A Quirky Holiday To A Meaningful Celebration

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    Festivus grew from a quirky holiday to a meaningful celebration for people who want humor honesty and less holiday pressure.

    Every December, amid the glitter of Christmas trees and the glow of menorahs, a quieter—but far more opinionated—holiday makes its annual return. Festivus, often dubbed “a holiday for the rest of us,” has evolved from a sitcom joke into a genuine cultural tradition celebrated by millions who crave humor, honesty, and a break from seasonal perfection.  Who would guess how Festivus grew from a quirky holiday to a meaningful celebration.

    RELATED: 5 Ways Microdosing Cannabis Can Boost Work Performance

    Festivus first entered the public consciousness in 1997 through the iconic TV series Seinfeld. In the episode “The Strike,”viewers learned Festivus was created decades earlier by the father of George Costanza as an alternative to the commercial pressures and emotional expectations of traditional holidays. Its symbols were refreshingly minimal: a plain aluminum pole instead of a tree, a Festivus dinner, the “Airing of Grievances,” and the climactic “Feats of Strength.”

    What began as satire struck a nerve. Audiences instantly recognized the underlying truth: the holidays can be stressful, expensive, and emotionally loaded. Festivus offered something radical—permission to opt out.

    In the years since the episode aired, Festivus has grown steadily in popularity. Office parties, family dinners, bars, and even corporate Slack channels now mark December 23 as a day for candor and comedy. Social media has amplified its reach, with aluminum poles proudly displayed and grievances humorously aired in posts and memes.

    Part of Festivus’ appeal lies in its flexibility. There are no religious requirements, no gifts required (or even encouraged), and no pressure to perform cheer. It’s anti-commercial, anti-pretentious, and proudly self-aware—qualities resonating deeply in a hyper-curated world.

    Festivus has strong multigenerational appeal. Gen Xers and older Millennials who grew up watching Seinfeld enjoy the nostalgia and irony. Younger Millennials and Gen Z, meanwhile, embrace Festivus as a countercultural statement—a holiday which values authenticity over aesthetics and humor over obligation.

    It also resonates with people who feel excluded or overwhelmed by traditional celebrations. Singles, blended families, introverts, skeptics, and anyone burned out on forced merriment often find Festivus refreshingly inclusive. You don’t have to believe in anything—except maybe telling the truth with a smile.

    RELATED: Marijuana Use And Guy’s Member

    Beneath the jokes and grievances, Festivus carries a few surprisingly timeless lessons. First, it reminds us the celebration doesn’t have to be expensive or elaborate to be meaningful. A simple meal and honest conversation can be enough.

    Second, Festivus encourages emotional transparency. The “Airing of Grievances,” while exaggerated for comedy, reflects a real human need to be heard. When practiced with kindness and humor, it can foster connection rather than conflict.

    Finally, Festivus teaches us traditions are allowed to evolve. You can honor the season in ways which suit your values, your energy level, and your sense of humor. Celebrating doesn’t have to mean conforming—it can mean choosing joy on your own terms.

    In a season often defined by excess and expectation, the magic behind Festivus lies in its simplicity. It’s a reminder sometimes the best holiday gift is permission to be real—and maybe to wrestle a loved one before dessert.

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    Anthony Washington

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  • Artist’s ‘Consentivus’ Pole, Anti-Trump Satire and Free Speech Symbol, to Raise in Front of Ohio Statehouse in December – Cleveland Scene

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    In the 1997 episode of Seinfeld “The Strike,” Frank Costanza defines his areligious Christmas alternative Festivus as protest to the Christian holiday and a platform from which to vent all the bad you see.

    “At the Festivus dinner,” he explains to Jerry and Kramer, “you gather your family around and tell them all the ways they have disappointed you over the past year.” Instead of a tree, Festivus is symbolized by, he says, “a pole with no decoration.”

    In December, a pole with some very intentional decoration is coming to the grounds of the Ohio Statehouse.

    Chaz Stevens, the Florida-based gadfly and self-proclaimed First Amendment activist, will be personally installing an eight-foot-tall “Consentivus” pole made out of aluminum beercans in the Statehouse’s North Plaza. For 12 hours on December 4, it will stand, with permission from the state government, under the banner of free speech.

    A highly topical subject these days. White-and-blue cans prodding Trump’s ego and “felonious life choices” will bear a list of harangues while others might bear ingredients: a can with “Tiny Hands Vodka,” “not for human consumption” and with side effects including “Neckgina”, “Old Man Musk Scent” and “Calling Strangers ‘Sugar’.”

    In an interview from his home in Deerfield, Florida, Stevens said his Consentivus poles, also going up in a half dozen other states, are designed to spark talk in a state that’s concerned itself with limitations in the past year—on THC gummies, pornography and kratom, to name a few.

    The original Festivus pole, made out of PBR cans, Chaz Stevens set up in Deerfield, Florida, in 2013. Credit: Chaz Stevens

    “I’m motivated by, in particular, two things: The freedom of religion and the freedom of speech,” Stevens, 61, said in a phone call. “And then my right of course to redress my grievances.”

    Grievances Stevens loves addressing—and not the first time either. In 2013, as a means to rattle theological dogma, Stevens installed a PVC pole stacked high with 18 cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon. (After threatening to sue Florida if it blocked his satire.)

    Stevens’ Festivus interpretation did the job. He landed interviews on The Colbert Report and in TIME. Such confidence led him to similar protestations, mostly those taunting the religious powers-that-be—from a “Church of Satanology and Perpetual Soirée” to submitting proposals to ban the Bible (it’s too “violent” and “sexual”) in 63 Florida school districts.

    And now, in a few weeks, his demonstrations will come to Columbus. A journey Stevens said is entirely self-funded or abetted through a GoFundMe campaign.

    It’s a campaign he argues is sorely needed. As Congress debates the release of the Epstein Files. As Trump tampers with SNAP payments. As ICE agents continue to violate the expectations of due process.

    “I’m standing up for our right to stand in the public square and say and speak our mind,” Stevens said. 

    “There’s nothing more fucking American to me than that,” he said. “The right to point your finger at the guy who, who’s sending people overseas and saying, go ahead, I double fucking dare you.”

    The “Consentivus” pole will be up 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Downtown Columbus’ North Plaza, on December 4. Those not in town can watch a livestream on Stevens’ YouTube page.

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    Mark Oprea

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