Festivus, a holiday created by Dan O’Keefe’s father, gained popularity after being featured in a Seinfeld episode. Traditions include an undecorated aluminum pole and airing grievances, with feats of strength ending the holiday. Celebrants have added their own touches and products referencing Festivus are available.
Festivus is an unusual made-up holiday that gained considerable attention when it was featured in a 1997 episode of the popular American comedy Seinfeld, titled The Strike. Up until this point, Festivus was only known by one of the writers, Dan O’Keefe, whose father had originated the party many years earlier. O’Keefe made several changes to his own family tradition before introducing the holiday as one celebrated annually by Frank Costanza, the father of one of the main characters, George. George invented the holiday to protest his frustration with the commercialization of Christmas, but people of all denominations can celebrate the holiday.
There are several key components to the Festivus tradition, which include displaying an aluminum pole, which is usually undecorated, and is nicknamed the Festivus pole. Other traditions include having a fruitcake on hand that people can look at but not eat. The two main aspects of the holiday are the transmission of grievances and feats of strength.
In broadcasting grievances, people can tell anyone else present all the things they did that year that were disappointing, annoying, or irritating. Feats of strength may involve attempting to knock the head of the house down and the holiday may not end until this is accomplished. In the original episode featuring Festivus, the head of the house chooses the person to attempt this wrestling and hints from the episode suggest that this wrestling match has been especially hard on George in previous years.
The peculiarity of the episode and its humor led many people to celebrate the holiday, usually on December 23rd. They might have actual “Festivus for the rest of us” celebrations, or they might get together to watch their favorite Seinfeld clips. Numerous celebrants add their own special touch to Festivus and may include anything to do with hating various holidays as part of the day.
Interest in this holiday has led to a number of products referencing it including t-shirts and mugs. Those who celebrate say every home deserves a copy of Allen Salkin’s now popular book, Festivus: The Holiday for the Rest of Us. In addition to providing detailed information about the origin of the holiday’s name word and numerous references, Salkin’s book chronicles how people all over the world latched onto this silly holiday and added their own unique traditions to it.
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