GATHER around the Festivus pole and listen to a tale about a real holiday made fictional and then real again, a tale that touches on philosophy, King Lear, the pool at the Chateau Marmont hotel, a paper bag with a clock inside and, oh yes, a television show about nothing. The first surprise is that from Tampa Bay, Fla. Those two rituals -- accusing others of being a disappointment and wrestling -- are traditions of Festivus as explained on the show by the character Frank Costanza. On that episode he tells Kramer that he invented the holiday when his children were young and he found himself in a department store tug of war with another Christmas shopper over a doll.

Thank you!
Seinfeld Episode: "The Strike"
Festivus is a secular holiday, normally celebrated on December 23rd. It is mainly meant as an alternative to the pressures and commercializtion of the Christmas season. However, it has also become a day to celebrate the ever-lasting comedy of the s television show Seinfeld. Festivus was a holiday featured in the Season 9 Seinfeld episode " The Strike ", which first aired on December 18, Since then, many people have been inspired by this zany, offbeat Seinfeld holiday and now celebrate Festivus as any other holiday. According to the Seinfeld model, Festivus is celebrated on December 23rd. However many people celebrate it other times in December and even at other times throughout the year. The usual holiday tradition of a tree is manifested in an unadorned aluminum pole , which is in direct contrast to normal holiday materialism. Those attending Festivus may also participate in the " Airing of Grievances " which is an opportunity to tell others how they have disappointed you in the past year, followed by a Festivus dinner , and then completed by the " Feats of Strength " where the head of the household must be pinned. All of these traditions are based upon the events in the Seinfeld episode , Strangely enough, our Festivus traditions also have roots that pre-date Seinfeld, as it began in the household of Dan O'Keefe, a television writer who is credited for writing the Seinfeld episode.
Read More From TIME
Top definition. An alternative to the crass commercialization of Christmas, typically celebrated on December It involves The Airing of Grievances telling your family and friends all the ways they have disappointed you during the year and does not end until the Feats of Strength pinning the head of the family are accomplished.
H appy Festivus! Have you aired your grievances or demonstrated your feats of strength around the pole yet? If that sentence made no sense to you , allow us to explain why every year on December 23rd, the internet is taken over with odes to Festivus, the festival for the rest of us.