It all started with an episode of Seinfeld that aired in 1997. Frank Costanza was tired of the consumerism that had taken over the December holiday season, so he set up his aluminum pole and on December 23 Festivus was born. The holiday started when George’s father, was out to buy a doll for his then young son, was involved in a fight. He said “As I rained blows upon him, I realized there had to be another way,” thus the seeds of Festivus started to take root.
In order to start celebrating Festivus you first must understand its fundamental principles:
The Festivus Pole
The aluminium pole which takes place of a Christmas tree, must be unadorned and is most certainly in direct contrast to the normal holiday decorations.
The Airing of Grievances
Festivus is a day to tell your family and friends what you really think of them and just how much they’ve disappointed you. So as Frank so eloquently put it “I’ve got a lot of problems with you people, and now you’re going to hear about it.” So go ahead and say what you’ve been wanting to all year.
Feats of Strength
No Festivus celebration can be complete without participating in the Feats of Strength. The head of each household can choose who they would like to compete against, this of course begins after dinner.
So get out there, put up your aluminum pole and celebrate Festivus!