The holiday’s popularity can be attributed to Seinfeld writer Dan O’Keefe, whose father created Festivus when O’Keefe was 8 years old. After writing it into an episode of the classic ’90s sitcom, the once-secret family holiday became a hit. There’s even a book that provides an in-depth look at the day’s traditions, Festivus! The Book: A Complete Guide to the Holiday for the Rest of Us by Mark R. Nelson. Celebrate the anniversary of the holiday in pop culture by hosting your own Festivus gathering this year. Here are five holiday traditions to include:
The Festivus Pole
Skip the hassle of buying a real Christmas tree or assembling a cheap imitation. Opt to set up an aluminum pole, which you can find in a crawl space, a basement, an abandoned lot or other vacant location. The best Festivus Poles are made from aluminum, so as to have a very high strength-to-weight ratio. There’s no need to spend money on breakable ornaments or other superfluous adornment. As Frank explains, “Requires no decoration. I find tinsel distracting.”
The Festivus Dinner
Everyone is invited to Festivus dinner. The modest meal traditionally consists of sliced meatloaf on a bed of lettuce, with a dish of peas on the side, as George’s mom, Estelle (Estelle Harris) likes to serve. According to festivusweb.com, some people choose to serve food from other episodes of Seinfeld, like Crab Bisque (from the episode with the Soupman).
The Airing of Grievances
Once you’re all comfortably seated at the table, the host welcomes the newcomers and starts the Airing of Grievances. Instead of sharing thoughts of gratitude with those around you, relieve some built-up stress over your annoying relatives and freeloading friends by telling them all the ways they have disappointed you over the past year. Don’t be shy. Take the lead as Frank does and let everyone know, “I got a lot of problems with you people! And now you’re gonna hear about it!”
Festivus Miracles
Festivus miracles are circumstances that have completely reasonable explanations, but are celebrated all the same. Verbal recognition with a sense of awe is given to such occurrences, such as, when someone shows up to the party and is asked how they knew about it, to which they reply that they were invited by a member of the group. At this point, someone should exclaim, “Another Festivus miracle!”
Feats of Strength
Festivus doesn’t officially end until a guest has pinned the head of the household in a wrestling match called Feats of Strength. The special guest can be selected by the head of the household or nominated by another guest. When Festivus began, audio recordings of the events were made on cassette tapes for future generations to enjoy. Feel free to record a video of the event for an Insta story or live stream the match on Facebook. You may want to remove your ugly Christmas sweater to avoid any damage that may ensue, before wildly calling to your opponent, “Let’s rumble!” Happy Festivus! Next up, hear why fatherhood is serious business to Jerry Seinfeld!
