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Festivus

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File:Festivuspole.gif
Frank Costanza (played by Jerry Stiller) shows the aluminum pole his family has used in past Festivus celebrations to Jerry Seinfeld (played by himself)

Festivus is a nondenominational holiday from Seinfeld, a popular American television sitcom of the 1990s. It featured on episode number 166 of the show, entitled The Strike, which first aired on 18 December 1997. Many fans of Seinfeld now celebrate the fictional holiday in real life.

Festivus is celebrated each year on December 23. Its slogan is "A Festivus for the rest of us!"

The character Frank Costanza (played by Jerry Stiller) created it as an alternative holiday in response to the commercialization of Christmas. He explained its origins during the episode to the character Cosmo Kramer (played by Michael Richards), as seen in the following dialogue:

Frank Costanza: 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.
Cosmo Kramer: What happened to the doll?
Frank Costanza: It was destroyed. But out of that a new holiday was born . . . a Festivus for the rest of us!
Cosmo Kramer: That must've been some doll.
Frank Costanza: She was!

In the episode, Kramer had become interested in resurrecting the holiday after hearing the plight of his friend—Frank Costanza's son—George, who used the holiday celebration he hated in his youth as a defensive excuse to his employer, Kruger (played by Daniel Von Bargen). George had been confronted by Kruger after handing out cards for Christmas to his fellow employees stating a donation had been made to a fake charity called The Human Fund in lieu of exchanging Christmas presents. George defended himself saying that he feared persecution for his beliefs, for not celebrating Christmas. Calling his bluff, Kruger came home with George to see Festivus in action.

The Festivus idea came to the show through writer Daniel O'Keefe. His father, Dan O'Keefe, had invented a Festivus holiday in 1966.

Main elements of Festivus

File:Festivusairingofgreivances.gif
The Airing of Grievances

The Festivus celebration includes three major components:

  • The Festivus Pole: During Festivus, an unadorned aluminum pole is displayed, apparently in opposition to the commercialization of decorated Christmas trees, and because the holiday's creator, Frank Costanza, "find[s] tinsel distracting." Local customs have changed and you may be able to decorate your pole with non-threatening plain decorations.
  • The Airing of Grievances: At the Festivus dinner, the celebrant tells their friends and family all of the instances where they disappointed the celebrant that year.
  • The Feats of Strength: The head of the family tests his or her strength against one participant of the head's choosing. Festivus is not considered over until the head of the family has been pinned. A participant is allowed to decline to attempt to pin the head of the family only if they have something better to do instead.
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