Fans of the show Seinfeld are familiar with the Festivus holiday, created by Frank Costanza out of his disdain for the commercialized Christmas season. Celebrated on December 23rd with the slogan “A Festivus for the rest of us,” Festivus has created a cathartic release for fans who might want a break from the traditional Christmas holiday. While not an actual holiday, it could inspire you to add some twists to your otherwise “normal” Christmas celebration. Take the traditions with a grain of salt and make them fun for your family. There’s no better holiday to start a new and whacky family tradition than Christmas, and Festivus is here to help.
Festivus Origin
While funny and wacky, Festivus has an actual history with one of the Seinfeld writers, Dan O’Keefe. He said his father created the holiday after the word popped into his head. Daniel O’Keefe’s father traditionally celebrated the holiday to honor his first date with his wife, Deborah. The slogan used in the show is an actual family motto, referring to the people who remained after the death of Daniel’s mother and slowly evolving to mean a forward-looking focus on life and the living. Surprisingly, the O’Keefes rarely celebrated Festivus during Christmas. Instead, the holiday could be celebrated at a random time of the year. Thanks to Mark Nelson’s book on Festivus, everyone can peek into the wonderfully dysfunctional holiday!
In the Seinfeld episode, Frank shows George an old cassette tape that has a recording of an early Festivus celebration. Fans of the show might not realize that this was part of the actual O’Keefe Festivus, tied together with the “Airing of Grievances.” While it was the sitcom that coined the term, Daniel did use a tape recorder to document when each family member spoke about what was bothering them. Frank also requests George wrestle him to settle the “Feat of Strength” portion of the holiday, claiming Festivus will never end until he is pinned to the floor. Dan claims that wrestling matches between his siblings were another one of the rites of his family’s holiday.
While some of O’Keefe’s actual traditions found their way into the show, some things were created strictly for the episode, such as the use of an aluminum pole in place of a traditional Christmas tree. Frank Costanza says he prefers an undecorated central piece for the holiday as he finds tinsel distracting. Don’t forget the miraculous “Festivus miracles” that sprout throughout the episode. These are ordinary events, often not very impressive and easily explainable, but are celebrated nonetheless. This was not in the O’Keefe family tradition but is the Costanzas’ take on the unexplainable and amazing Christmas miracle.
Celebrating Festivus
Buckle in; it’s time to change your holiday routine and throw in a bit of Seinfeld flavor. Celebrate Festivus with your family the Costanza way. Feel free to tweak these traditions as you see fit. After all, not every family is as proud as the Costanzas.
The first thing you need to do is purchase an aluminum pole. What kind of decorations, you might be wondering. None. Keep that thing skinny and bare. The barren pole is meant to be the opposite of a highly decorated Christmas tree. An aluminum pole is low-maintenance and that’s the heart of Festivus. Remember, we’re fighting against the commercialization of Christmas. Keep it bland and undecorated, just like Frank Costanza would have liked.
Next up is the Festivus dinner. While the meal doesn’t require anything specific, what accompanies dinner makes Festivus stand out. Before feasting, the “Airing of Grievances” takes place, in which each participant tells present friends and family how they disappointed them that year. Take full advantage of this opportunity and let your voice be heard. Rip into your mother for her dry pork chops; tell off your dad for his political views; remind your siblings how annoying they are and why; yell at your friend for her horrible taste in men; and mock your other friend for his lack of self-awareness. Air your grievances! But, you have to sit still and take it when your friends and family point their grievances toward you. Festivus is a two-way street and everyone needs to be a good sport. No crying, no complaining, no alternative, only airing of grievances. Or, if you truly want to try out Festivus but want your family to stay together, skip this part.
At last, we come to the “Feat of Strength;” the grand finale of Festivus. An opportunity to work off the great meal you and your loved ones shared as you held back tears from the airing of grievances. The head of the family, whether they’re a mother, father, or grandparent, chooses one participant to wrestle with. Festivus only ends once the head of the family has been pinned to the ground. This could mean that your Festivus will last days, weeks, maybe even months, but that is the fun of Festivus. It’s a chance to keep the tradition going throughout the year, making a game of it here and there. It’s guaranteed to make memories with your family. This section of Festivus can be altered to avoid an emergency room visit. Instead of wrestling, the head of your family and the chosen challenger can arm wrestle, thumb wrestle, leg wrestle, do a foot race, a staring contest, or anything else you can think of. Keep it fun and light as this is meant to be an enjoyable tradition that your family will look back on fondly.
At its core, Festivus is a holiday created by comedy writers to represent the strangeness of the Costanza family. While it has real roots in the O’Keefe family, they didn’t take it to the level that Frank Costanza did, and your family shouldn’t either. Use this holiday to add something fun and exciting to your typical home traditions. Instead of airing your grievances, release your frustrations with your day-to-day life. Instead of trying to pin your father to the floor or wrestle your mother’s arm to the table, play a game with everyone that would make Frank Costanza jealous of your family’s happiness. During the holidays, the most important thing is spending time with your loved ones. A Festivus for the rest of us!
Read about funny dunce characters here!
In need of some stress relief this holiday season? Check out Bookstr’s stress buster book recommendations here!
