Festivus is a holiday that first got its start on the critically acclaimed sitcom, Seinfeld. Its first appearance was on the 1997 episode entitled “The Strike” that aired on NBC on December 18th, 1997. Today, it is regarded as a secular holiday that serves as an alternative to the commercialization of Christmas.

History

Festivus was originally created by the family of Seinfield screenwriter, Dan O’Keefe, in 1966. It was designed as a ‘non-holiday’ by the family and would randomly take place anytime from December to May. The very first one took place in February of 1966, when Dan O’Keefe used it to celebrate the first date of his future wife. However, it wouldn’t entire pop culture consciousness until December of 1997 when his son – Daniel O’Keefe – wrote it into the Seinfeld episode. Since it was celebrated on December 23rd during that episode, it is commonly celebrated on that day by people around the world.

Observances And Customs

During the Seinfeld episode, several elements were in place during the character’s Festivus celebration, and these elements are the ones that are usually observed by people observing the holiday. These include:

The Holiday Pole-As sort of an antithesis to the Christmas tree, the pole is an unadorned aluminum pole that is usually used as a centerpiece of the dinner celebration. These device wasn’t a part of the original O’Keefe family tradition, but was an invention Seinfeld writer, Jeff Schaffer.

The Dinner-This holiday dinner was another element displayed during the episode. On the show, the traditional dinner was meatloaf and spaghetti, but Dan O’Keefe said the original holiday dinner featured a turkey or a ham.

Airing Of Grievances-A key element of the whole celebration is the “Airing Of Grievances.” This is done immediately after the holiday dinner has been served and involves all of the family members stating, one at a time, what they don’t like about each other and what disappointed them during the previous year.

Feats Of Strength-Another element of this holiday, as depicted on the episode, is the “feats of strength challenge.” Immediately following the dinner, the head-of-the-household challenges one of the guests at the table to a wrestling match. According to tradition, the holiday isn’t over until the household’s head is pinned in a wrestling match.

Miracles-The last element of this tradition are the exclamation of miracles. These miracles can be literally anything and are usually proclaimed at the dinner table. If you search for it on Google, then you are taken to a page with a metal pole down the left side and with the the exclamation: “It’s a Festivus Miracle!!” before the search results counter.

Other Traditions-Although not depicted in the original show, Dan O’Keefe has been quoted as saying that in his family’s original tradition, the holiday pole was not used but a bag containing a clock was used in its place. After the celebration, the clock was then immediately hung. The purpose of this is not known to Mr. O’Keefe and it remains a mystery to this day.

Conclusion

Although Festivus originally started as a way to pole fun at the traditional holidays and as a way to relieve the pressure of family get-togethers, today it has bloomed into a fun holiday for the entire family that can be used both as an alternative, or to supplement, the traditional holidays.