- Festivus is a made-up annual holiday
- It’s an alternative to popular Christmas celebrations
- But where did it originate and how do you celebrate Festivus?
Festivus 2024 is officially upon us – time to air those grievances.
This annual holiday is completely made up but that hasn’t stopped it from being celebrated by people in a tongue-in-cheek way. The day itself has origins that go all the way back to 1966 although its popularity rose after it was showcased on a major 90’s television comedy show.
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In the year since, fans across the world have celebrated Festivus in their own special ways. Despite being fictional, it even has traditional methods of marking the occasion, including a meal and a communal way of getting things off your chest.
Looking for more Festivus 2024 information? Read on for everything you need to know about his fake holiday that’s found its way into the real world.
What are the origins of Festivus?
Festivus is a fictional secular holiday that jumped to worldwide recognition after becoming the focal point of the 1997 Seinfeld episode The Strike.
During this now-iconic episode, George Constanza (Jason Alexander) tells Jerry (Seinfeld), Kramer (Michael Richards) and Ellaine (Julia Loius-Dreyfus) about his father’s fascination with Festivus. According to George, Frank (Jerry Stiller) celebrates Festivus annually as an alternative to traditional Christmas activities and an excuse to vent some anger.
After mentioning it at work, viewers get to see Festivus in action when George invites his boss back to his father’s house to witness his Festivus celebrations.
Festivus’s Seinfeld appearance helped make the holiday widely known while solidifying many of its key celebrations and traditions. However, Festivus itself goes back further.
Originally, Festivus was created and celebrated by writer Daniel O’Keefe. It was brought to the attention of the Seinfeld writers’ room thanks to his son Dan O’Keefe who worked on the show’s staff.
Keefe Jr told outlets: “As a kid, we’d come home and there’d be weird decorations.
“There was the playing of strange German and Italian pop music from the ’50s. And the airing of grievances was a real thing.”
O’Keefe’s son has said it is a secular holiday that featured a number of traditions. These traditions were added to during its appearance on Seinfeld, including the phrase “A Festivus for the rest of us.”
When is Festivus 2024?
Festivus is celebrated annually on the day before Christmas Eve, with Festivus 2024 taking place on Monday 23 December.
How is Festivus 2024 celebrated?
As depicted in Seinfeld, Festivus is celebrated with a number of key items and moments. These include the erecting of the Festivus pole which is simply a long length of aluminium.
This wasn’t part of O’Keefe Sr’s original celebrations. Instead, he randomly put a clock in a bag and nailed it to a wall without explanation.
A Festivus dinner also traditionally takes place. No alcohol is served and the food itself is limited, with meatloaf and lettuce featured within the Seinfeld episode.
Before dinner is eaten, guests are invited to the partake in the “airing of grievances” where people tell others about how they’ve disappointed them over the past year.
This is usually followed by ‘Feats of Strength’ where attendees challenge each other to wrestling matches.
Is Festivus a national holiday?
No, despite the Seinfeld social media accounts’ best efforts, Festivus is not a national holiday.
The show’s official social pages started a petition in 2022 but it didn’t work. Sadly, Festivus has so far failed to become a national American holiday. Still, that hasn’t stopped people from celebrating it year in, year out.
