Do you have a favorite fictitious holiday you love to celebrate every year?

Maybe you celebrate Galentine’s Day (Parks and Rec) with your best girlfriends or know that the perfect date is April 25 (Miss Congeniality). Of course, we can’t forget Mean Girls day (October 3) or May the Fourth Be With You (Star Wars).

Festivus is a fictitious holiday born from Seinfeld, which is becoming more popular with each passing year. To learn everything you need to know about this holiday, keep reading!

What Is Festivus?

Festivus is a holiday from the sitcom “Seinfeld.” It was featured in the episode “The Strike,” which aired on December 18, 1997, on NBC. George Constanza’s family celebrates the holiday as a Christmas alternative.

When Is Festivus?

Festivus is December 23. However, people who celebrate this holiday today will celebrate it throughout December.

How Can You Celebrate Festivus?

The Festivus celebration contains four main traditions. They are:

  • The Festivus Pole
  • Festivus Dinner
  • The Airing of Grievances
  • The Feats of Strength

The tradition begins with displaying the Festivus Pole (an aluminum pole). The Pole symbolizes the opposition to the commercialization of Christmas decorations since it is low-maintenance.

When the dinner begins, each guest participates in the Airing of Grievances. Each guest tells their family and friends all the times they disappointed them that year. If you have a lot of people at your Festivus celebration, this can take a while.

After the Airing of the Grievances is the Feats of Strength. The head of the family tests their strength against someone of their choosing. Festivus is not over until someone has pinned the head of the family to the ground.

How to Celebrate Festivus on Social Media

You’ll find thousands of posts if you search Festivus on any of the popular social media platforms (i.e., Facebook, Instagram, TikTok). You can even find Festivus events to attend in cities across the world.

To show others how you celebrate Festivus, add #Festivus to your post, and others can easily see it. Then, browse the hashtag to see how others are celebrating too.

 

Let’s celebrate Festivus together

Festivus is a fun and unique holiday that is worth celebrating. Gather your family and friends to enjoy the unique traditions and protest commercial holidays.

And don’t forget to post about it on social media! To boost your posts and get more online engagement, learn how Sprout Social can help. Sign up for a free 30-day trial now.

Festivus FAQ

When is Festivus?

Festivus is on December 23rd.

What inspired Festivus?

Festivus was inspired by the author Daniel O’Keefe. His father, Dan O’Keefe, was a writer on “Seinfeld” and co-wrote the episode that featured Festivus. The O’Keefes have a set of family traditions similar to Festivus that they incorporated into the show.

The Christmas alternative “a Festivus for the rest of us” and the “Festivus Miracle” were born from these authentic traditions.

What Do You Eat at a Festivus Dinner?

On the show, Estelle Costanza served a spaghetti or meatloaf dish. Both are good dishes for the Festivus dinner, even though fans of the show have now identified the previously unknown dish as meatloaf served on a bed of lettuce.

The O’Keefe family said they ate turkey or ham and an M&M-decorated cake for dessert. Fans of “Seinfeld” often eat featured food from the show to celebrate.

How Many People Celebrate Festivus?

It’s unknown how many people partake in his holiday. However, it continues to grow in popularity as fans reminisce about the show and protest the commercialization of holidays.