What Is Festivus? Seinfeld Fans Are Weighing in Today

The holiday season is in full force. Nestled among the likes of Christmas and Hanukkah is a tradition like no other: Festivus. Made famous by the Seinfeld character, Frank Costanza who was played by Jerry Stiller, the holiday features the "Airing of Grievences" and the "Feats of Strength." The holiday is celebrated on Dec. 23.

Festivus also features its iconic centerpiece, an aluminum pole that, unlike its Christmas counterpart, doesn't feature any ornaments or decorations. The holiday originated author Daniel O'Keefe, who celebrated the day with his family. Eventually, his son, Dan, went on to be a writer for Seinfeld and spotlighted it on the episode entitled "The Strike."

In an interview back in in 2009 with the Washington Post, O'Keefe spoke about what the day was like growing up.

"A Festivus for the Rest of Us" was an actual family Festivus motto, referring initially to those remaining after the death of my father's mother, and then coming to mean in general a forward-looking focus on life and the living, i.e. 'Let the dead bury the dead'," he explained.

A Happy Festivus to my observant friends. My your grievances be few and your feats of strength impressive. pic.twitter.com/RolLSnunAr

— Scott Glanz (@Scottglanz44) December 23, 2019

The celebration has really taken its own on social media as many fans of the show and people who are just looking to get in on the action have begun to take part in the timely traditions that come with the day. Many took to Twitter to air out their grievances, everything from personal things to politics to sports.

"We truly are celebrating Festivus the way Frank Costanza intended. Grievances are being aired like it's nobody's business. Happy Festivus," one user wrote.

There has been so much interaction under the #HappyFestivus hashtag on Twitter that many accounts decided to get in on the action. One of which was the Orlando International Airport.

A festivus for the rest of us! We’re happy to inform that all of our APM’s have several poles (very high strength-to-weight ratio) to celebrate today’s date, no tinsel décor of course cause that’s distracting. Happy #Festivus! pic.twitter.com/VbCXFG73nP

— Orlando International Airport (@MCO) December 23, 2019

Another use wrote, "Happy Festivus! FYI. Festivus has been celebrated every December 23 as a protest against the hustle and bustle of the holiday season."

Ever since its appearance on Seinfeld, the holiday has found itself in the mainstream. It's become an even bigger day of observance due to the influx of social media and the growth of pop culture nuances.