'A Festivus for the rest of us': The Seinfeld episode that changed the holidays forever:

Bryce Houston, Louisville Courier Journal
·2 min read
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From the airing of grievances to the demonstration of feats of strength, Festivus is a holiday one can celebrate with the entire family.

Here's a closer look at the holiday and why Festivus is more than just a Seinfeld episode.

Who created Festivus?

The originator of this iconic celebration is none other than Frank Costanza (played by Jerry Stiller). The New York native created the holiday after realizing that greed and commercialism was ruining the holiday he loved so dearly, Christmas.

"Many Christmases ago I went to buy a doll for my son," said entrepreneur Frank Costanza. "I reached for the last one they had, but so did another man. As I rained blows upon him, I realized there had to be another way…”

Off-screen backstory: The idea of "Festivus" was originally created in 1966 by Daniel O'Keefe, the father of Dan O'Keefe, one of the Seinfeld writers.

When is Festivus? How long is Festivus?

Festivus begins and ends on December 23rd. Most importantly, the holiday festivities conclude with the demonstration of feats of strength.

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Can anyone celebrate Festivus?

Of course, anyone can celebrate. No religious ties, business or Master's degree necessary. Just follow these rules for a successful Festivus:

Find a Festivus pole - The pole must be aluminum due to its “very high strength-to-weight ratio," according to Frank Costanza.

Airing of grievances/Festivus dinner- The most important meal of the year. The Festivus celebration kicks off with the airing of grievances.

Gather your family and friends around the dinner table and tell them all the ways they’ve disappointed you in the past year.

Demonstration of feats of strength - The Festivus organizer randomly selects a family member or friend at the dinner table to wrestle.

The holiday celebrations don’t officially end until the organizer is pinned.

How to watch Seinfeld and the Festivus episode

Seinfeld is currently streaming on Netflix after a long stint with Hulu. The Festivus holiday is featured in "The Strike", season nine, episode 10.

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This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: What is Festivus? It's more than just a Seinfeld Christmas episode