Happy Festivus! Gather ‘round the traditional aluminum pole and share tidings of grievance.
If you have never had the joy of sharing feats of strength on Dec. 23, here are the five things you need to know about this holiday.
1. Its origins on ‘Seinfeld’
Festivus was started in the 1997 “Seinfeld” episode “The Strike.” George Costanza’s father, Frank, created it as a protest against the “commercial religious” aspects of Christmas.
Since then, it has become an event regularly commemorated by social media on Dec. 23.
2. There’s a lot involved here
Festivus is celebrated with a dinner that involves the Airing of Grievances. In the show, Frank complains about his Festivus guests. The lore of the holiday is that it is a time for telling your family all the ways they’ve disappointed you.
There are also feats of strength. In “Seinfeld,” George did not appreciate this after-dinner event involving wrestling.
3. Decorating is... easy
All you have to do to celebrate Festivus is get an aluminum pole out of the crawlspace. No decorations, just stick it in the ground. Tinsel is too distracting.
4. Festivus has been used to make political statements
A 2013 Mother Jones article charts the ways Festivus poles have been used for political purposes. Eric Cantor, formerly a high-ranking Republican representative in the U.S. House, held Festivus fundraisers.
An atheist activist in Florida also erected a Festivus pole made of empty beer cans in the Florida state house rotunda to protest a privately funded Nativity display at the capitol.
5. The dad of a “Seinfeld” writer really celebrated this
Dan O'Keefe, a co-writer of "The Strike," said his dad invented the holiday and celebrated it when they were kids. O'Keefe said he and his siblings never knew when they'd step off the school bus and "there were weird decorations around our house and weird French '60s music playing... it was (expletive) weird."
The “Seinfeld” writers added the aluminum pole and Dec. 23 date to the version of Festivus that ended up in the show.
“I was honestly surprised anyone (cared),” O’Keefe said. “For better or worse, this is the most recognizable thing I’ve ever done on TV…which is to say my career peaked at age 26, maybe.”
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