| Festivus | |
|---|---|
 Festivus pole | |
| Type | Secular |
| Significance | Celebrated as an alternative to the pressures and commercialism of the Christmas holiday season |
| Celebrations | Airing of grievances, feats of strength, the aluminum pole, Festivus dinner, Festivus miracles |
| Date | December 23 |
| Frequency | Annual |
Festivus (/ˈfɛstɪvəs/) is a secular holiday celebrated on December 23 as an alternative to the perceived 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",[1][2] 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 includes a Festivus dinner, an unadorned aluminum Festivus pole, practices such as the "airing of grievances" and "feats of strength", and the labeling of easily explainable events as "Festivus miracles".[3] The episode refers to it as "a Festivus for the rest of us".
It has been described both as a parody holiday festival and as a form of playful consumer resistance.[4] Journalist Allen Salkin describes it as "the perfect secular theme for an all-inclusive December gathering".[1]
- ^ a b Salkin, Allen (December 19, 2004). "Fooey to the World: Festivus Is Come". The New York Times. Retrieved January 9, 2008.
- ^ "Festivus for the rest of us". LJWorld. Retrieved December 25, 2006.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
scriptwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Mikkonen, Ilona; Bajde, Domen (April 10, 2012). "Happy Festivus! Parody as playful consumer resistance". Consumption Markets & Culture. 16 (4): 311–337. doi:10.1080/10253866.2012.662832. S2CID 144392280.