Cromulence: My Personal Holiday that I Am Sharing with You

December 17 is Cromulence

In one of my favorite movies of all time, A Thousand Clowns, the iconoclastic and authentically non-conformist lead character Murray Burns, played to such brilliant perfection by Jason Robards, Jr., celebrates his own personal holiday. Irving R. Feldman Day is the day that Murray Burns sets aside to honor the owner of the best local deli in New York City. Nobody else is allowed to celebrate Irving R. Feldman Day except Murray. Fortunately for you, I am just ever so slightly more open-minded than Murray Burns.

My own personal holiday is known simply as Cromulence and it is celebrated on December 17. You may join me in the celebration of Cromulence and celebrate it any way you wish except for the following traditions which must be observed. Every December 17, or Cromulence, whenever you part ways with someone you should say "Smell ya later" instead of "goodbye" or "see ya" or even just "later." I'm afraid those of the Jewish persuasion may have trouble celebrating Cromulence because it cannot be properly celebrated unless you consume fried pork chops a-plenty.

Cromulence is my personal celebration of the premiere of The Simpsons. On December 17, 1989 the Christmas special "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" was shown. Until that moment, Homer and Marge and Bart and Lisa and Maggie Simpson had only been exposed to American television viewers in very short segments on the Tracy Ullman Show. "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" was the first extended half-hour slot episode and proved the crudely animated figures from The Tracy Ullman Show could more than hold their own on their own. Here we are 20 years later and The Simpsons is unquestionably the single greatest work of art produced in the 20^th century. To say that it remains the best thing on television is to state the obvious.