How to Celebrate Festivus

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: June 29, 2021 Approved

If you don’t want to celebrate the holidays in the traditional sense, you might enjoy celebrating Festivus. With Festivus, you can resist holiday commercialism and stresses while still getting together with your loved ones. This December 23rd “Festivus for the rest-of-us" was popularized on the TV show Seinfeld and continues to draw fans each year. Get a Festivus pole, have Festivus dinner, air your grievances, and participate in the feats of strength to celebrate Festivus like a true Seinfeld enthusiast.

Part 1

Part 1 of 4:

Getting a Festivus Pole

1
Check the basement for something resembling a metal pole. Instead of erecting a tree or displaying a menorah in your home, find a metal pole and place it in a corner of the living room. Festivus is all about low maintenance, so it’s ideal to rummage through your basement, attic, or garage for the metal pole, or for something else such as a tall lamp, that can act as a festivus pole.
- If you want to buy a Festivus pole, you can purchase one online.
- You can also make your own Festivus pole. Head to a local hardware store, buy an aluminum pole and supplies to make a stand, and put it together at home in your workshop space.
2
Keep the pole bare. There’s no need to add any decorations to your metal pole, so leave it bare. After all, tinsel is distracting according to Frank Costanza.^{[1]
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3
Put a clock in a bag and nail it to the wall. You can also go the traditional route and nail a clock to a wall in place of a metal pole. While the metal pole served as the main Festivus decoration in the Seinfeld episode called “The Strike,” the bagged clock represented it in the original real family holiday that Seinfeld writer Dan O’Keefe used as inspiration.^{[2]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 4:

Eating a Festivus Dinner

1
Stay true to the episode with a meatloaf dinner. In “The Strike,” Festivus dinner consisted of meatloaf on a bed of lettuce. Make this as the main entree to celebrate festivus dinner correctly.^{[3]
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2
Serve a traditional turkey and pecan pie dinner. Dan O’Keefe’s family always had either turkey, ham, beef stew, or lamb chops for Festivus dinner. You can also celebrate Festivus by serving one of these foods. Also, serve some pecan pie for dessert.
3
Serve any foods seen on Seinfeld. If you aren’t feeling meatloaf, turkey, ham, beef stew, or lamb chops, you can also serve any food eaten in the Seinfeld series for Festivus.
- Make it easy on yourself and go pick up some food from Arby’s.
- Choose from many different foods, including shrimp, pizza, risotto, bagels, home-made sausages, egg rolls and more.
- Serve a soup such as wild mushroom or crab bisque and make sure to quote the “No soup for you!” line at least a few times over the course of the meal.

Part 3

Part 3 of 4:

Airing Your Grievances

1
Gather around the dinner table. After dinner, it’s time to air the grievances. To get ready to do so, keep everyone seated at the dinner table.
2
Express your complaints about each other and the world. The airing of grievances is all about getting things off of your chest so that you can feel better. Pick a few things that you’ve been wanting to complain about. Have everyone take turns standing up and talking about what and who has been bringing them down.^{[4]
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3
Keep it lighthearted. While Frank Costanza’s directness is pretty humorous in “The Strike,” keep in mind that real life is different than sitcoms. Be considerate and careful if you choose to air grievances about other people.

Part 4

Part 4 of 4:

Participating in the Feats of Strength

1
Challenge a guest to wrestle you. Festivus isn’t over until the feats of strength take place. If you’re the head of the household, it’s your job to select your wrestling opponent at this point in the evening.
- The person that you select can decline if they have a good excuse, such as having a broken leg or having worked a double shift at work.
2
Get pinned by your opponent. The selected individual must pin down the head of the household in a wrestling match in order to break down their authoritative power. This is the final ceremonial stage of Festivus.
3
Have an alternative competition. Wrestling can be a little dangerous, so feel free to have another strength-based competition that everyone can be a part of. Consider doing one of the following:
- Arm, thumb, or leg wrestling
- Board game tournament
- Staring contest

Community Q&A

Question

Can anyone celebrate Festivus, or is it just for Pagans?

Community Answer

It's for anyone who wants an alternative to the over-commercialized Christmas holiday, but especially if they are Seinfeld fans.
Question

Can you serve gravy with the meatloaf?

Community Answer

Sure! Serving meatloaf is a great way to celebrate Festivus. Make it your own by serving it with a flavorful gravy.
Question

Is Festivus a single day affair?

Oddyasheck

Community Answer

Festivus is traditionally a single day holiday. However, if you feel extremely festive, multiple Festivus celebrations could be arranged.

Warnings

If you celebrate the feats of strength traditionally, make sure to remove any fragile or potentially dangerous objects from the room first.

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