It was first broadcast on December 18, 1997. The Seinfeld episode that featured Festivus was titled ' The Strike', although O'Keefe notes that the writers later wished they had named it 'The Festivus'. It is now celebrated on December 23, as depicted in the Seinfeld episode written by the younger O'Keefe. In 1982, Daniel O'Keefe wrote a book, Stolen Lightning: The Social Theory of Magic, that deals with idiosyncratic ritual and its social significance, a theme relevant to Festivus tradition. The phrase 'a Festivus for the rest of us' originally referred to those remaining after the death of the elder O'Keefe's mother, Jeanette, in 1976 i.e., the 'rest of us' are the living, as opposed to the dead. In the original O'Keefe tradition, the holiday would take place to celebrate the anniversary of Daniel O'Keefe's first date with his future wife, Deborah. According to him, the name 'just popped into my head'.

While the Latin word fēstīvus means 'excellent, jovial, lively', and derives from fēstus, meaning 'joyous holiday, feast day', Festivus in this sense was coined by the elder O'Keefe. įestivus was conceived by author and editor Daniel O'Keefe, the father of television writer Dan O'Keefe, and was celebrated by his family as early as 1966. Journalist Allen Salkin describes it as 'the perfect secular theme for an all-inclusive December gathering'. It has been described both as a parody holiday festival and as a form of playful consumer resistance.

The episode refers to it as 'a Festivus for the rest of us'. 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'. Originally created by author Daniel O'Keefe, Festivus entered popular culture after it was made the focus of the 1997 Seinfeld episode 'The Strike', which O'Keefe's son, Dan O'Keefe, co-wrote. Celebrated as an alternative to the pressures and commercialism of the Christmas holiday seasonĪiring of grievances, feats of strength, the aluminum pole, Festivus dinner, Festivus miraclesįestivus ( / ˈ f ɛ s t ɪ v ə s/) is a secular holiday celebrated on December 23 as an alternative to the pressures and commercialism of the Christmas season.

Nothing trivial season 4