Festivus: How Seinfeld’s anti-Christmas celebration of grievance airing became a cult phenomenon
Festivus is here! How Seinfeld inspired a yearly ‘airing of grievances’
- Festivus is a secular, anti-commercial alternative to Christmas, created by Frank Costanza in the 1997 Seinfeld episode "The Strike."
- Celebrated annually on December 23, its traditions include an undecorated aluminum pole, serving meatloaf, the "Airing of the Grievances," and the "Feats of Strength."
- The holiday was inspired by a real Christmas parody event created by Daniel O’Keefe’s eccentric father, which began in New Jersey in 1966.
- The original Festivus involved nailing a bag containing a mantelpiece clock to a wall, rather than erecting an aluminum pole, a custom whose meaning remained unexplained.
- Festivus has become a cult phenomenon among Seinfeld fans and has entered common parlance, used to describe public complaints, as noted by news anchor Jake Tapper regarding Donald Trump in 2017.