Frank Costanza: Many Christmases ago, I went to buy a doll for my son. 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.
Cosmo Kramer: What happened to the doll?
Frank Costanza: It was destroyed. But out of that a new holiday was born … a Festivus for the rest of us!
Cosmo Kramer: That must've been some kind of doll.
Frank Costanza: She was.
http://festivusweb.com/
The slogan of Festivus is "A Festivus for the rest of us!" The usual holiday tradition of a tree is manifested in an unadorned aluminum pole, which is in direct contrast to normal holiday materialism. Those attending Festivus may also participate in the "Airing of Grievances" which is an opportunity to tell others how they have disappointed you in the past year, followed by a Festivus dinner, and then completed by the "Feats of Strength" where the head of the household must be pinned. All of these traditions are based upon the events in the Seinfeld episode, however, strangely enough, Festivus has roots that pre-date Seinfeld.
Fun Festivus Party Ideas
Regift Exchange: Instead of going out and buying gifts to exchange, tell everyone to bring a REGIFT item, which is to say that you take a gift that has been received in the past, rewrap it and bring it to the party. Of course the idea of a regift is another Seinfeldism taken from the episode "The Label Maker". Sometimes the worse the gift the more the fun. The exchange could be done using our Fun re-Gift Exchange Script, which can often make it all the more fun and interactive.
Seinfeld Potluck: Ask your guests to bring food items of their choice, but the food should have some connection to the Seinfeld series. There can be a lot of creativity and fun had trying to figure out a good dish made with "Hampton Tomatoes", or you could bring a big bowl of "Lobster Bisque" or a bag of "Calzone". We have some suggestions on our Festivus Dinner page.
Seinfeld Costume Party: Guests are asked to dress up as a character from Seinfeld. Of course this is a lot more work for the guests but the results will pay off in hilarity.
Airing of Grievances: In the traditional Constanza Festivus, it is the time of year to tell friends and family about how they disappointed you in the year's past. This can be fun and dangerous. Who doesn't like complaining about people? Just remember it is probably not the time or place to get too personal. If you like, you can put everyone's grievances in a hat or a sack (Stuff your sorries in a sack, Mister!) and read them out anonymously.
Feats of Strength: The traditional Feats of Strength take place after the Airing of Grievances, and usually between the head of the household and a guest of choice. The head of household must be wrestled to the ground and pinned. While it may be fun idea, the traditional Feats of Strength could be damaging to people, not to mention furniture and household appliances. We have a collection of good alternatives to feats of strength on our Feats of Strength Page
