A Festivus Guidebook

There are fewer than 40 days until Dec. 23 ?- the fete of Festivus.

And you don't have to be in the Costanza clan from Seinfeld to make merry, as Allen Salkin documents in his new book, titled ?- of course ?- Festivus: The Holiday for the Rest of Us (Warner, $14.95).

He's found folks who follow their own Festivus fun ?- whether by brewing a special ale or shearing their cat to look like a lion. But the "Dave Barry Rule" comes into play with Salkin's tome: Can you really believe an author's note asserting "Everything in this book is 100 percent true. This is all real"?

For those who don't speak fluent Sein-language, the nondenominational holiday was introduced as a subplot on the Dec. 18, 1997, episode by Jerry Stiller's character, Frank Costanza. It's a celebration centered around an aluminum-foil-covered pole, the Airing of Grievances and Feats of Strength.

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