--- ---  # Rand Paul Airs His Festivus Grievances by [Ryan Teague Beckwith](https://time.com/author/ryan-teague-beckwith/) ## Ryan Teague Beckwith Dec 23, 2014 3:35 PM UTC  Senator Rand Paul speaks at the Conservative Political Action Committee annual conference in National Harbor, Md., on March 7, 2014. Senator Rand Paul speaks at the Conservative Political Action Committee annual conference in National Harbor, Md., on March 7, 2014.Susan Walsh—AP by [Ryan Teague Beckwith](https://time.com/author/ryan-teague-beckwith/) ## Ryan Teague Beckwith Dec 23, 2014 3:35 PM UTC Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul is celebrating Festivus again this year with [a series of tweets](https://twitter.com/senrandpaul). But let’s face it, it’s basically Festivus all year round in the Senate. • The made-up holiday from TV’s “Seinfeld” begins with a celebratory dinner. Senators hold fundraisers at fancy restaurants to celebrate themselves all the time. • People celebrating Festivus then hold the Airing of Grievances to explain how other people have disappointed them. In the Senate, this is called [“Morning Business.”](http://www.senate.gov/CRSReports/crs-publish.cfm?pid=%26%2A2%3C4RLC%3E%0A) • Then there are the Feats of Strength, in which Festivus revelers fight each other. Senators hold similar face-offs by trying to show how long they can filibuster. ([Paul’s went nearly 13 hours](http://www.politico.com/story/2013/03/rand-paul-filibuster-john-brennan-cia-nominee-88507.html).) • Plus there’s the Festivus miracle, in which a rather minor bit of good news is celebrated beyond its actual importance. The Senate regularly congratulates itself for doing simple things like passing a budget. • Finally, there’s the Festivus pole. The Capitol is filled with plain white columns. And if anyone knows about polls, it’s members of Congress. While Paul may think he’s bringing Festivus to the nation’s capital, in reality, he’s just helping spread the traditions of the Senate to the rest of the country. > [](https://twitter.com/SenRandPaul/status/547386589819985921) > [](https://twitter.com/SenRandPaul/status/547404538609946624) > [](https://twitter.com/SenRandPaul/status/547404853702848513) > [](https://twitter.com/SenRandPaul/status/547409497342611457) ### Photos: On the Road with Rand Paul  Senator Rand Paul talks to voters at the Horry County Republican Party in Myrtle Beach, S.C. on Sept. 30th, 2014. Charles Ommanney for TIME  Senator Rand Paul talks with students at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, S.C. on Sept. 30th, 2014. Charles Ommanney for TIME  Senator Rand Paul's boots are seen as he talks with students at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, S.C. on Sept. 30th, 2014. Charles Ommanney for TIME  Senator Rand Paul bows his head in prayer before talking to voters at the Horry County Republican Party in Myrtle Beach, S.C. on Sept. 30th, 2014. Charles Ommanney for TIME  Senator Rand Paul and GOP Senatorial candidate Thom Tillis meet with diners at Big Ed's restaurant in Raleigh, N.C. on Oct. 1st, 2014. Charles Ommanney for TIME  Senator Rand Paul attends a BBQ event at the Donnelly Barn in Bowling Green, Ky. on Oct. 12th, 2014. Charles Ommanney for TIME  In a back tent, Senator Paul manages to have five minutes alone to go over his speech at the Donnelly Barn in Bowling Green, Ky. on Oct. 12, 2014. Charles Ommanney for TIME  Senator Rand Paul and Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell attend a BBQ event at the Donnelly Barn in Bowling Green, Ky. on Oct. 12th, 2014. Charles Ommanney for TIME  Senator Rand Paul speaks at a BBQ event at the Donnelly Barn in Bowling Green, Ky. on Oct. 12th, 2014. Charles Ommanney for TIME  The BBQ event's band at the Donnelly Barn in Bowling Green, Ky. on Oct. 12, 2014. Charles Ommanney for TIME Rand Paul Airs His Festivus Grievances ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3645495/rand-paul-festivus-tweets/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3645495/rand-paul-festivus-tweets/"},"headline":"Rand Paul Airs His Festivus Grievances","datePublished":"2014-12-23T15:35:06.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T05:06:31.728Z","description":"Kentucky Sen. 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