When day is it? Do people actually celebrate?
The holiday season is fast approaching and while you may be preparing for whatever major celebrations you typically observe, there is one holiday you might have forgotten. Festivus — a celebration “for the rest of us” — arrives each year on Dec. 23, marking a major day for “Seinfeld” devotees.
The holiday, introduced during season 9 of the popular ’90s sitcom by Frank Costanza, is an alternative to all the commercialism oft associated with Christmas, providing an opportunity instead to be bitter, and un-celebratory.
Costanza, played by the late Jerry Stiller punctuates the Festivus episode, entitled “The Strike,” with his classic animated rants and unfiltered commentary. To this day fans of the series mark the holiday by tweeting out memes or celebrating on their own, honoring comical traditions like the airing of grievances and the Festivus pole.
Discover all the details of the holiday below.
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What day is Festivus?
Festivus 2022 will be Friday, Dec. 23.
What is Festivus?
Festivus is a fictional holiday originating from the popular television comedy “Seinfeld.” The brainchild of Frank Costanza (father to George Costanza), Festivus dodges all the commercial aspects of the holiday season, instead presenting a no-frills, some might even say curmudgeon-like approach.
Serving as an alternative to Christmas, the “celebration” is complete with zany rituals like a “Festivus pole” rather than a tree and the “airing of grievances,” which allows individuals to bring up all the grudges they’re holding against fellow celebrants.
What is the Festivus episode number in Seinfeld?
Festivus is introduced in Season 9, Episode 10 of “Seinfeld, entitled “The Strike.”
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What are the rules of Festivus?
Festivus, truly a holiday like no other, has very little in common with others celebrated around the same time. Instead of a day to mark togetherness and warmth, Festivus is a day to compete and complain. Here are a number of the rituals broken down:
Airing of grievances
“At the Festivus dinner you gather your family around and tell them all the ways they have disappointed you over the past year” Frank Costanza explains.
Feats of strength
Physical competitions, meant to crown the strongest among the bunch.
The Festivus pole
An aluminum pole with no decoration is erected in place of a Christmas tree. “I find tinsel distracting,” Frank Costanza explains.
What is the true meaning of Festivus?
Though Festivus did not secure a spot in the popular imagination until the late nineties, when this particular episode of “Seinfeld” aired, the true genesis of the holiday came much before.
Mother Jones reported in 2013 that Festivus was a real holiday invented by the father of “Seinfeld” writer Dan O’Keefe’s when he was about eight years old complete with the airing of grievances and the feats of strength — the pole was added for the show.
Best ‘Festivus’ moments:The episode’s best bits, ranked.
Do people actually celebrate Festivus?
Aside from O’Keefe and family, “Seinfeld” fans now claim the holiday as their own.
Though it is not celebrated with the same fervor as other, non-secular holidays, Festivus is still marked by some each year.
