The History of Bobshannah

Bobshannah, the festival of beer and lights, originated in the mind of Bob Neveu, Nostrobobus, on a cold Christmas Eve in the Great White North of Erie, PA.  While prophesying and predicting weather, Nostrobobus began a comparison of traditional winter holidays.  Noting that the Jewish people have 8 days of celebration for Hannukah, he declared an extension of the Christian holiday celebration.  Thus Bobshannah was born, lasting from Dec. 26 to 30.

Bobshannah is a simple holiday revolving around beer and lights.  The incorporation of beer in Bobshannah can be traced back to Benjamin Franklin's famous quote, "Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."  The symbol of Bobshannah is the beerorah.  The beerorah is similar to a mennorah but has 5 positions, each for a beer bottle which holds a candle.

Celebrating Bobshannah consists of opening a bottle of micro or macro brew on the first night of Bobshannah.  The contents of the bottle are shared in shot glasses among the celebrants.  Once the bottle is empty, the bottle is placed in the beerorah, a candle placed in the mouth and the candle lighted.  This ritual continues each of the 5 nights.  Other optional components of Bobshannah include cigar smoking and game playing such as Scrabble, CatchPhrase and BopIt tournaments.