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What is Festivus? Here’s how to celebrate the Seinfeld holiday on December 23rd

Posted on by Taylor Reeves
What is Festivus? Here’s how to celebrate the Seinfeld holiday on December 23rd

We have a lot of problems with people who don’t think Festivus is a real holiday.

And now you will find out about it.

A “Seinfeld” holiday that Jason Alexander’s George Costanza can confirm is “all too real” occurs every December 23rd, when fans of the legendary sitcom remember the classic 1997 episode “The Strike.” remember.

Festivus
It’s not officially Festivus until the complaints are voiced.NBC

The bizarre holiday, which celebrates grievances and acts of strength, was created in the series by Frank Costanza, George’s father, played by the late comedy legend Jerry Stiller.

“It’s a Festivus for the rest of us!” Frank Costanza explains.

Here’s what you should know about the secular holiday.

What does December 23rd mean in “Seinfeld”?

How a card his father sent him reminded George in the 1997 episode that Festivus happens every December 23rd.

In real life, it was invented in 1966 by the father of former “Seinfeld” author Dan O’Keefe. O’Keefe incorporated it into the series when he wrote “The Strike” episode.

Festivus is “a special celebration that’s just for our special family,” O’Keefe told TODAY in 2016.

“Was I surprised that real people took over a strange TV holiday based on a crazy family tradition that bordered on child endangerment?” O’Keefe joked. “That would be ‘Yes.’ I believe that the answer to the question of why this happened is clear: it is a sign that the end of days is at hand.”

As Frank Kramer explains in the classic episode, the no-frills holiday was created in response to the commercialization of Christmas. It came about when Frank said that at Christmas time he was fighting with another man over a coveted doll for young George.

“As I rained down blows on him, I realized there had to be another way,” Frank says. “(The doll) was destroyed, but from it a new holiday was born. A Festivus for the rest of us!”

As a child, George was scarred by the celebration of this holiday.

“That’s nothing! This is a stupid holiday that my father invented. It doesn’t exist!” He calls out to Jerry and Elaine at the beginning of the episode.

How to celebrate Festivus on December 23rd

Festivus
You want to get an aluminum pole with a very high strength to weight ratio for your Festivus celebration.NBC
  • Instead of a tree, get a simple aluminum pole to display around the house. This is especially true if you’re like Frank and “find tinsel a distraction.” You also want to look for a “very high strength-to-weight ratio” in your Festivus pole.
  • Get together to air your grievances. Bring the family together “and tell them how much they have disappointed you in the last year,” as Frank put it. “I have a lot of problems with you! Now you will know about it,” he says.
  • Prepare for feats of strength. This can include wrestling with the family patriarch in front of everyone. Unless you nail him, Festivus isn’t over yet. “Stop crying and fight your father,” Frank tells a distraught George.
  • You couldn’t straighten a silk sheet if you were on a hot date with a babe… Wait, sorry, we lost the train of thought here. Next comes…
  • Be like Kramer and declare even the smallest coincidence a “Festivus miracle”!
  • Use Festivus as an excuse if you get caught fundraising for your fake charity instead of sending Christmas cards to your colleagues. Tell the boss that you don’t celebrate Christmas and were afraid you would be “persecuted” for celebrating Festivus instead.

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