What is festivus and when is it?
Mar 01, 2018 · What does Festivus mean? Festivus is the name of a secular and non-commercial holiday characterized by the raising of an aluminum pole, the serving of a dinner, the airing of grievances , and the demonstration of feats of strength.
What is Festivus in Seinfeld?
Dec 23, 2021 · Festivus is an annual Dec. 23 celebration, of sorts, started by George Costanza’s (Jason Alexander) father, Frank (played by the late great Jerry Stiller ), who created the twisted observance after...
What does Happy Festivus mean to you?
Festivus is a parody holiday celebrated on December 23 as an alternative to participating in the pressures and commercialism of the Christmas holiday season. Originally a family tradition of a scriptwriter of the American sitcom Seinfeld, the holiday entered popular culture after it was made the focus of an episode in 1997.
Who created the Festivus character?
Festivus is defined as a secular holiday celebrated on December 23 that is essentially anti-Christmas, a backlash to the commercialization of Christmas and involves the airing of grievances. The term was first used by Frank Costanza (father of principle character George Costanza) on the American comedy Seinfeld.
What is the meaning of the word Festivus?
What does Festivus mean? Festivus is the name of a secular and non-commercial holiday characterized by the raising of an aluminum pole, the serving of a dinner, the airing of grievances, and the demonstration of feats of strength.Mar 1, 2018
What is the origin of Festivus?
While the Latin word fēstīvus means "excellent, jovial, lively", and derives from fēstus, meaning "joyous; holiday, feast day", Festivus in this sense was coined by the elder O'Keefe. According to him, the name "just popped into my head".
What is the tradition of Festivus?
Since first being introduced in the Seinfeld episode “The Strike” on December 18, 1997, Festivus has been celebrated every December 23 as a protest against the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.Dec 23, 2021
What are the rules of Festivus?
Celebrating Festivus can be as easy as following these 5 stepsGet a Festivus pole. Search your home for an aluminum pole. ... Prepare a Festivus dinner. Meatloaf is key to stay true to the “Seinfeld” episode. ... Air your grievances. ... Join in the Feats of Strength. ... Call all slightly non-routine events 'Festivus miracles'Dec 23, 2017
What is a Festivus miracle?
The term "Festivus Miracle" is an obvious parody of the popular notion of a "Christmas Miracle". It was originally pitched for "The Strike" by Seinfeld writer David Mandel, however the term is something Dan O'Keefe claims his own father also would say.
Who said Festivus for the Rest of Us?
My socks, worn one day a year … Happy Festivus! Thus “a Festivus for the rest of us” was born — though the holiday was really created by “Seinfeld” writer Dan O'Keefe's father, Dan Sr., in the 1960s and later re-purposed for the series, for which he can thank his brother, Mark.Dec 23, 2021
What was Festivus on Seinfeld?
Festivus is a wacky holiday popularized in a 1997 “Seinfeld” episode. Billed as “Festivus for the rest of us,” the holiday is celebrated by the Costanza clan on Dec. 23 as an all-inclusive, secular alternative to Christmas consumerism.Dec 23, 2021
What Seinfeld episode is Festivus?
The StrikeIt aired on December 18, 1997. This episode features and popularized the holiday of Festivus....The Strike (Seinfeld)"The Strike"Seinfeld episodeEpisode no.Season 9 Episode 10Directed byAndy AckermanWritten byDan O'Keefe and Alec Berg & Jeff Schaffer8 more rows
How do you do a Festivus party?
From there, the tradition goes as such:Put a clock in a bag and nail it to the wall (which is considered “the true symbol of Festivus”).Sit down for dinner.Before eating comes the Airing of Grievances, an opportunity to tell others how they have disappointed you in the past year.Enjoy Festivus dinner.More items...•Dec 4, 2019
Do you decorate Festivus poles?
The Festivus Pole Also, no decorations — definitely no tinsel. Frank finds it distracting. Although uneventful, raising the pole is a suggested ceremonial event that occurs as guests walk in. Overall, the Festivus pole resembles the unnecessary decorating that Christmas requires.Dec 10, 2019
Why is there an aluminum pole for Festivus?
The Festivus Pole is the ultimate symbol of an anti-christmas holiday, it is plain looking, unencumbered by branches and decorations, and it is relatively inexpensive. In Seinfeld, Frank Costanza chose the unadorned aluminum pole as a symbol in direct opposition to a decorated Christmas tree.
What do you eat on Festivus?
Spaghetti or meatloaf were both commonly accepted as the proper Festivus dish because it was difficult to distinguish what exactly Estelle Costanza served in the dinner scene. Thanks to the HD release of the episode, the dish has been positively identified as meatloaf served on a bed of lettuce.
What is Festivus for the rest of us?
The phrase "a Festivus for the rest of us" originally referred to those remaining after the death of the elder O'Keefe's mother, Jeanette, in 1976; i.e., the "rest of us" are the living, as opposed to the dead.
Who is the father of the Festivus?
Festivus was conceived by author and editor Daniel O'Keefe, the father of TV writer Dan O'Keefe, and was celebrated by his family as early as 1966. While the Latin word festivus means "excellent, jovial, lively", and derives from festus, meaning "joyous; holiday, feast day", Festivus in this sense was coined by the elder O'Keefe. According to him, the name "just popped into my head". In the original O'Keefe tradition, the holiday would take place to celebrate the anniversary of Daniel O'Keefe's first date with his future wife, Deborah. The phrase "a Festivus for the rest of us" originally referred to those remaining after the death of the elder O'Keefe's mother, Jeanette, in 1976; i.e., the "rest of us" are the living, as opposed to the dead.
What is the meal on the Strike?
In "The Strike", a celebratory dinner is shown on the evening of Festivus prior to the Feats of Strength and during the Airing of Grievances. The on-air meal shows Estelle Costanza serving a sliced reddish meatloaf-shaped food on a bed of lettuce. In the episode no alcohol is served at the dinner, but George's boss, Mr. Kruger, drinks something from a hip flask.
What episode of Seinfeld was Festivus?
The Seinfeld episode that featured Festivus was titled " The Strike ", although O'Keefe notes that the writers later wished they had named it "The Festivus". It was first broadcast on December 18, 1997. The plot revolves around Cosmo Kramer ( Michael Richards) returning to work at his old job, H&H Bagels. While dining at Monk's Restaurant, as George Costanza ( Jason Alexander) is opening his mail, he receives a card from his father saying, "Dear Son, Happy Festivus." This leads to Jerry Seinfeld and Elaine Benes ( Julia Louis-Dreyfus) discussing George's father's creation of Festivus despite George not wanting it to be discussed. Kramer then becomes interested in resurrecting the holiday when, at the bagel shop, Frank Costanza ( Jerry Stiller) tells him how he created Festivus as an alternative holiday in response to the commercialization of Christmas.
What is the origin of the Festivus clock?
Festivus clock. In a 2013 CNN segment on the origins of Festivus, O'Keefe spoke about the real-life experiences related to the holiday. O'Keefe's father, who originated some of the now-recognized Festivus traditions, used a clock in a bag nailed to a wall, not an aluminum pole.
What is the Feats of Strength?
The Feats of Strength are the final tradition observed in the celebration of Festivus, celebrated immediately following (or in the case of "The Strike", during) the Festivus dinner. The head of the household selects one person at the Festivus celebration and challenges them to a wrestling match.
Why did George make up the Human Fund?
Kruger ( Daniel von Bargen ), questions George about a $20,000 check he gave George to donate to the Human Fund as a corporate donation, George hastily concocts the excuse that he made up the Human Fund because he feared persecution for his beliefs, of celebrating Festivus instead of Christmas.
Who created Festivus for the rest of us?
Thus “a Festivus for the rest of us” was born — though the holiday was really created by “Seinfeld” writer Dan O’Keefe’s father, Dan Sr., in the 1960s and later re-purposed for the series, for which he can thank his brother, Mark.
What is Festivus 2020?
Festivus is here. And in 2020, the rest of us have more grievances than ever to air. What exactly is Festivus? You could call it the Festival of Fights. The fictitious holiday first came to light on the sitcom “Seinfeld,” in the Dec. 18, 1997, final-season episode titled “The Strike.”.
Who is George Costanza's father?
Festivus is an annual Dec. 23 celebration, of sorts, started by George Costanza’s (Jason Alexander) father, Frank (played by the late great Jerry Stiller ), who created the twisted observance after an unfortunate department store tussle over a doll with another customer when George was a kid. The horrendous holiday, a statement against crass ...
Who played Frank on Seinfeld?
Festivus is no fun for George Costanza (Jason Alexander), with his parents, Estelle (Estelle Harris) and Frank (Jerry Stiller), on "Seinfeld.". ©Columbia Tristar/Courtesy Ever.
When did Tom Stiller die?
With the coronavirus pandemic in full swing in 2020 — not to mention the loss of Stiller himself, who died in May at 92 years old — the concept of looking back on a disappointing year is not so foreign this time around. In fact, it’s almost fitting.
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What is Festivus in the US?
Festivus is a secular holiday celebrated on December 23 as a religious holiday season alternative. The name most likely is a combination of “Festive us”, you know, like “for the rest of us.”.
What is the meaning of the Festivus catchphrase?
2009. Let the dead bury the dead. Dan O’Keefe reveals that the Festivus catchphrase is meant as a reminder to look to the future in his family.
What episode of Seinfeld is Festivus based on?
Festivus timeline. Daniel O'Keefe celebrates the anniversary of his first date with his wife and the day became known as Festivus based on an obscure holiday. An episode of “Seinfeld” features Festivus, written by Daniel’s son and the public is introduced to the holiday.
What is the significance of the aluminum pole?
Instead of a tree or menorah, an aluminum pole was the symbol of Festivus. They’d have a dinner of meatloaf as the main course and afterward, they had “Feats of Strength” and “Airing of Grievances” traditions.
Why did George Castanza celebrate Festivus?
He chose the date of December 23 to celebrate it because it was the anniversary of his first date with his wife. In the 1997 episode of “Seinfeld” titled, “The Strike” George Castanza is the one who celebrates Festivus. The holiday was created by his father Frank and they celebrated it throughout George’s childhood.
Why did Dan O'Keefe celebrate Festivus?
At the time, he was doing research for his book “Stolen Lightning” which explored astrology, cults, and paranormal activity. He chose the date of December 23 to celebrate it because it was the anniversary of his first date with his wife.
When is Festivus 2021?
December 23, 2021. Festivus is on December 23 and it’s perfect for those who don’t have a traditional holiday to celebrate. Although it sounds paradoxical, its purpose makes a lot of sense. Not everyone has a major holiday to celebrate like Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa and they can feel left out.
What is Festivus in Seinfeld?
Festivus is a holiday created by Mr. Castanza after he failed to buy a doll for his beloved son George. This holiday celebrates the things that grieved you for the past solar cycle (1 year). It is celebrated annually on December 23rd by the Castanza household and Seinfeld super-fans. The abscence of a tree is replaced by an aluminum pole. A festivus ritual is two people wrestling each other remorselessly and the head of the family is to be pinned. The holiday's motto is a festivus for the rest of us. For a period of over 20 years, Festivus was suspended from celebration only to be reencarnated by Cosmo Cramer in 1998.
What is the meaning of Christmas pole?
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. A plain, metal pole is used in lieu of a Christmas tree, because decorations (such as tinsel) is distracting from the true meaning of the holiday.
Festivus dinner
If you're looking for a bite to eat tonight, consider a meatloaf, which happens to be the "official" Festivus dish.
The Festivus pole
The IndyStar says the pole must be aluminum, due to its “very high strength-to-weight ratio," according to Frank Costanza. And it has to be decoration-free, "mainly because tinsel is too distracting,” explains Frank Costanza.
Festivus miracles
The miracles of Festivus are incidents that have completely reasonable explanations but are celebrated anyway, Parade says.
Overview
Festivus is a secular holiday celebrated on December 23 as an alternative to the pressures and commercialism of the Christmas season. Originally created by author Daniel O'Keefe, Festivus entered popular culture after it was made the focus of the 1997 Seinfeld episode "The Strike", which O'Keefe's son, Dan O'Keefe, co-wrote.
The non-commercial holiday's celebration, as depicted on Seinfeld, occurs on December 23 and i…
History
Festivus was conceived by author and editor Daniel O'Keefe, the father of television writer Dan O'Keefe, and was celebrated by his family as early as 1966. While the Latinword fēstīvus means "excellent, jovial, lively", and derives from fēstus, meaning "joyous; holiday, feast day", Festivus in this sense was coined by the elder O'Keefe. According to him, the name "just popped into my head". In the original O'Keefe tradition, the holiday would take place to celebrate the anniversary …
Fictional practices
The holiday, as portrayed in the Seinfeld episode, includes practices such as the "airing of grievances", which occurs during the Festivus meal and in which each person tells everyone else all the ways they have disappointed them over the past year. After the meal, the "feats of strength" are performed, involving wrestlingthe head of the household to the floor, with the holiday ending only i…
Wider adoption
Some people, many of them inspired by the Seinfeld episode, subsequently began to celebrate the holiday with varying degrees of seriousness. Allen Salkin's 2005 book Festivus: The Holiday for the Rest of Us chronicles the early adoption of Festivus. Rabbi Joshua Eli Plaut's 2012 book A Kosher Christmas: 'Tis the Season to Be Jewish' references Festivus. Martin Bodek's 2020 book The Festivus Haggadah fuses Passover with Festivus.
O'Keefe family practices
The O'Keefe family holiday featured other practices, as detailed in The Real Festivus (2005), a book by Daniel O'Keefe's son, Dan O'Keefe. Besides providing a first-person account of the early version of the Festivus holiday as celebrated by the O'Keefe family, the book relates how Dan O'Keefe amended or replaced details of his father's invention to create the Seinfeld episode.
In a 2013 CNN segment on the origins of Festivus, O'Keefe spoke about the real-life experiences …
See also
• Buy Nothing Day
• Winterval