In Iowa It’s Festivus For the Restivus, Will You celebrate?!

December 23rd—it's not just the day before Christmas Eve, it's Festivus, the holiday for the rest of us. If you’ve seen Seinfeld, you already know this quirky, anti-Christmas holiday made famous by George Costanza and his dad Frank.

Instead of a tree full of twinkling lights, there's a cold, minimalist aluminum pole. The Festivus Pole. Instead of sharing warm holiday cheer, you get to air your grievances and tell your family exactly how they’ve disappointed you over the past year.

So, it's almost like many other holidays with disappointment already built in, sweet. It was a family therapy session but with more weird traditions and less actual progress. 

The Festivus Origins Weren't Made Just for TV

The origins of Festivus aren’t just made up for TV, though. It was based on a real-life family tradition created by Dan O'Keefe's father back in 1966. O'Keefe a writer for Seinfeld decided to showcase his life in the show and Festivus was it.  O'Keefe’s dad, an eccentric guy who really hated Christmas commercialism, decided to create a holiday that was, well, pretty bizarre.

There was no fixed date for the holiday—it could pop up at any time of year, like a holiday that just couldn’t be bothered to be conventional. 

Is the TV version different than Real Life?

The TV version of Festivus is, of course, much funnier and weirder than what actually happened. While the O'Keefe family didn’t have the iconic aluminum pole, they did have wrestling matches (feats of strength) and an “airing of grievances” where family members would vent about each other.

If you're planning on celebrating and your airing of grievances doesn't seem up to snuff.  Here are some topics that could possibly knock people down to the level at which you need them.  Here are some examples

Oh, and there was a clock in a bag for reasons no one really understood. Imagine coming home to a house full of weird decorations, strange music, and your dad saying, "It's Festivus time!"—because he just felt like it. 

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These days, people all over the U.S. have embraced Festivus, with some celebrating in true Seinfeld fashion, and others putting their own spin on it. There's even a Festivus Games, where gyms hold fitness competitions in honor of the "feats of strength" tradition.

Is Festivus for you?

So, if you're looking for a holiday that gives a salute to Christmas consumerism, with a few less fingers, and lets you publicly roast your loved ones, This is it!

Festivus is here to stay! Celebrate today!