In the "Seinfeld" episode "The Strike," a new holiday was introduced to Grinches around the globe: Festivus.
On the show, which originally aired on December 18, 1997, George Costanza's ever-so-angry father Frank devised the holiday for his own family, after being let down by the commercial madness of Christmas. "A Festivus for the rest of us!," he proclaimed. In real life, the bizarre celebration was actually invented by Daniel O'Keefe, Sr., the father of Dan O'Keefe, who wrote this "Seinfeld" episode.
According to Frank Costanza, Festivus is held annually on December 23. To decorate for Festivus, you need nothing more than a plain aluminum pole. Yup. A pole. For dinner, your favorite comfort food is welcome -- except ham or any cooked bird. During the meal, guests can express their deepest disappointments towards one another in The Airing of Grievances. (And, seriously, how many times have you wanted to tell that uncle of yours to eat with his mouth closed?) Rounding out the festivities are The Feats of Strength. Once the head of the family has been pinned by a challenger of his or her choice, Festivus is officially over.
Happy Festivus, everyone!
Suggested Sites...
- FestivusWeb.com - proof that people besides the characters on "Seinfeld" celebrate the holiday.
- YouTube: The Story of Festivus - watch the Festivus clips from the "Seinfeld" episode.
- Wikipedia: Festivus - details about Frank Costanza's holiday, including Festivus miracles.
- Seinfeld - The Strike - full recap of the episode in which Festivus was introduced, including quotes and trivia.
- Festivus: A Web Site for the Rest of Us - official site of Allen Salkin's book on Festivus.
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