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What is Festivus? -

Festivus was born as a parody, non-commercial alternative to Christmas.

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Origins -

Reader's Digest’s editor and writer Daniel O'Keefe first celebrated it in 1966.

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Origins -

It is believed that O'Keefe found a reference to the offbeat celebration while doing research for a book.

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The origins of the word -

When you read Festivus, you probably think about the word “festive.” Indeed, this is the Latin origin of the word, which means festive, jovial, and joyous, among other adjectives.

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When is it celebrated? -

Festivus was first celebrated by O’Keefe on December 23, because the date coincided with the anniversary of his first date with his wife.

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Popularity -

But it was not until an episode of ‘Seinfeld’ called ‘The Strike,’ which aired on December 18, 1997, that Festivus really became a thing.

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Popularity -

The idea was introduced into the show by ‘Seinfeld’ writer Dan O'Keefe (the son of Daniel O'Keefe), and his family’s offbeat holiday celebration became a hit.

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Who celebrates Festivus in the show? -

George Costanza (Jason Alexander) is the character who celebrates Festivus. The holiday was a family affair originally created by his father, Frank Costanza (Jerry Stiller). George celebrated Festivus throughout his childhood, and in the episode we learn all about how the holiday is celebrated.

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The main elements of Festivus -

For Christmas we have the tree, traditional food, and presents, to name a few of the elements. In Festivus, however, there are just four elements. Let’s go through them.

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The Festivus pole -

Forget the traditional Christmas tree. With Festivus, it’s all about the aluminum pole. The aluminum pole has no decoration. Frank Constanza finds tinsel distracting, so that’s that.

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The Festivus pole -

The aluminum pole, however, is not mentioned in the original Festivus as described by Daniel O'Keefe.

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The Festivus pole -

Believe it or not, you can actually buy a Festivus pole. Alternatively, you can make yours. And don’t forget: it’s Festivus, so you can create a makeshift pole!

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Festivus dinner -

Forget about turkey and any other traditional Christmas foods. The main dish served for Festivus is meatloaf!

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Festivus dinner -

Make sure you serve it on a bed of lettuce, and have peas and mashed potatoes as side dishes.

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Festivus dinner -

Though the original Festivus dinner as per Daniel O'Keefe consisted of turkey, ham, beef stew, or lamb chops. The dessert was usually pecan pie.

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Festivus dinner -

Over the years, people celebrating Festivus have included other foods popularized by ‘Seinfeld,’ such as muffins, pastrami, and pretzels.

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The airing of grievances -

This is all about getting the record straight with those present. Quoting Frank Constanza, “At the Festivus dinner, you gather your family around, and tell them all the ways they have disappointed you over the past year!”

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The airing of grievances -

But don’t think this is a democratic process. Only the head of the household will have the chance to do this!

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The airing of grievances -

If you’re following this Festivus tradition, keep it lighthearted and funny. Surely you’ll have some grievances you want to vent about.

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The feats of strength -

The fourth, and last, element of Festivus is all about the head of the household testing his or her strength against another guest.

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The feats of strength -

How do you do it? It’s simple: just take your bulky winter top off and shout "let's rumble." Then proceed to wrestle the chosen guest (though the actual wrestling part is not shown in the episode).

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The feats of strength -

It should be noted that guests can refuse to engage in the feat of strength, and can even offer a suitable alternative, i.e. name another guest!

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How to incorporate feats of strength in your Festivus celebration -

If you want to add this element to your Festivus, there are a few alternatives you can consider, namely arm wrestling, thumb wrestling, or even a tickle fight!

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How to incorporate feats of strength in your Festivus celebration -

Of course, you don’t have to become physical. A board game will do just fine to show your strength. Your mental strength, that is. The important thing is to have fun.

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The original Festivus traditions -

While the elements mentioned previously were adopted by ‘Seinfeld,’ Festivus, as originally celebrated by Daniel O'Keefe’s family also had its peculiar elements.

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The original Festivus traditions -

One of the symbols was a clock in a bag, the meaning of which was never really explained by O’Keefe.

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The original Festivus traditions -

Christmas hats were, of course, out of the question. The family much preferred Viking helmets or dunce caps.

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The original Festivus traditions -

The family also had themes for every Festivus celebration. One example was "Is there a light at the end of the tunnel?"

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Festivus miracle -

Clearly a parody of the notion of a "Christmas miracle," you can use the words in response to anything amazing or unexpected. “Wow, it’s a Festivus miracle!”

Sources: (New York Post) (Festivus!) (National Today)

See also: Celebrations around the world other than Christmas

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