Today We Celebrate Festivus

FESTIVUS HISTORY

Daniel O’Keefe, Reader’s Digest editor and author, created the holiday in response to family tension. One of its central practices is the “airing of grievances.”  He first celebrated the day in February of 1966. But later, the day was recognized as it is now, on December 23 in honor of O’Keefe’s first date with his future wife. O’Keefe’s son wrote the Seinfeld episode featuring the celebration.

What’s your favorite way of celebrating Festivus?  Today’s traditions are more or less taken from the television show and modified over the years.

HOW TO CELEBRATE FESTIVUS: National Day Calendar

• Adorn an aluminum Festivus pole to be displayed in the home. In the O’Keefe household, there was no pole. Instead, a clock was placed in a bag and nailed to the wall.
• Serve a traditional dinner in the evening. 
• During dinner, allow the Airing of Grievances. Each person takes turns describing how the others have disappointed him or her over the past year.
• Feats of Strength follows dinner and involves wrestling the head of the household. Note: The holiday is not complete unless the head of the household is pinned. Failure to pin the head of the household could result in perpetual Festivus.
• Festivus Miracle – a frequent if unimpressive miracle. You may count carrying all the groceries into the house for dinner without tripping or dropping one of the bags as a Festivus Miracle.