FESTIVUS is upon us, so gather your family around the dining table and tell them what you really think.
The non-religious holiday famously featured in an iconic episode of the highly acclaimed ’90s sitcom Seinfeld – but did it exist beforehand?
What is Festivus and when is the holiday?
As depicted in Seinfeld, Festivus is celebrated every December 23.
The holiday aims to protest and parody the commercialism surrounding the Christmas holiday.
The phrase associated with the tradition, “A Festivus for the rest of us”, originated as a way of referring to the living.
As in those able to attend the Festivus dinner, as opposed to the deceased whom, for obvious reasons, cannot come to the table.
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Did Festivus exist before it was on Seinfeld?
Yes, it existed before Seinfeld – it was created by writer Dan O’Keefe’s father in 1966.
Festivus is a secular holiday mocking commercial Christmas traditions.
While it was popularized by the 1997 Seinfeld episode, it originated in real life decades earlier.
What Seinfeld episode was Festivus celebrated?
The holiday was portrayed in The Strike episode in season nine of Seinfeld.
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“A Festivus for the rest of us!” said George Costanza’s father Frank, played by the late Jerry Stiller, in the episode.
“Many Christmases ago, I went to buy a doll for my son.
“I reached for the last one they had but so did another man.
“As I rained blows upon him, I realized there had to be another way!” Frank explains in the episode.
Cosmo Kramer, played by Michael Richards, quickly embraced the holiday.
Towards the end of The Strike, he abandons it when Frank invites him to wrestle in the feats of strength.
A Festivus for the rest of us
traditional phrase of festivus
“Frank, no offense, but this holiday is a little out there,” Kramer tells Frank.
The episode also follows Kramer’s years-long strike at H&H Bagels, Jerry Seinfeld’s experience with two-faced women, and George’s attempt to skimp on holiday gifts.
What are the Festivus traditions?
According to Dan O’Keefe, the real-life traditions of Festivus included many of those portrayed in Seinfeld.
Instead of a Christmas tree, the holiday is celebrated with an undecorated aluminum pole, a Festivus dinner, feats of strength, the airing of grievances and wrestling matches.
So Festuvus provides an opportunity to complain about anything that’s been bugging you to family members and other participants at the dinner.
However, one tradition that didn’t make it to the episode was O’Keefe’s father putting a clock in a bag and nailing it to a wall.
While speaking to CNN regarding the one tradition that didn’t make the Seinfeld script, O’Keefe said: “The real symbol of the holiday was a clock that my dad put in a bag and nailed to the wall every year.
“I don’t know why, I don’t know what it means, he would never tell me.”
“He would always say, ‘That’s not for you to know.’ I thought it was going to be the most forgettable part of it that was cut out for syndication.”
How can fans celebrate and get involved in Festivus?
Fans across the US can dive into Festivus on December 23 with public events.
Festivus parties pop up all over, with bars hosting wrestling matches, while some venues host grievance open mic nights – check out Festivusweb.com for 2025 events.
Or you can host intimate sessions at home or a local venue, where you can invite friends and family to air complaints about everyday woes.
Organize physical challenges in your backyard, such as arm-wrestling, beer pong feats, or wrestling family members.
Award silly trophies or a tinfoil crown to winners, with forfeits for the losers (we will leave those up to your own imaginations).
Craft a Festivus pole from a length of aluminum or a foil-wrapped broomstick – but don’t decorate it!
Feast on meatloaf and red lettuce, yelling “No soup for you!” at picky eaters.
The holiday only officially ends when the head of the household is pinned.