How Seinfeld’s Festivus Episode Became the Best Christmas Sitcom Special

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Holiday-themed episodes of sitcoms are often considered some of the best on television. One standout is “The Strike” from December 1997, widely praised as the perfect holiday episode. It cleverly addresses the common frustration with the commercialization of Christmas, and the story kicks off with the celebration of Festivus.

The holiday of Festivus, a family tradition on the show “Seinfeld,” is often attributed to George Costanza’s father, Frank. While Frank popularized it and made it hilarious, the idea for Festivus didn’t actually originate with the show – and that’s part of what makes it so appealing.

Festivus as a Holiday Wasn’t Originally Created for Seinfeld

I remember when Festivus first started getting popular, even people who didn’t watch Seinfeld knew about it! It’s actually a real holiday, created back in the 1960s by a man named Daniel O’Keefe as a family tradition. He started celebrating it on the day he first met his future wife. His son, Dan, grew up with Festivus and later used those family experiences in his comedy writing. It was fascinating to learn that the ‘made-up’ holiday actually had roots in a real person’s life. In 2005, Daniel O’Keefe even wrote a book, The Real Festivus, to share the story behind it all.

Most of the unique traditions of Festivus were invented for the TV show Seinfeld. Because the show is known for its humor and exaggeration, the Costanza family’s holiday needed to be particularly unusual. The holiday was first shown in an episode where Jerry and George were discussing how strange it is to receive donations as Christmas presents. As they talked, Elaine arrived just as George opened a card from his father.

Usually, Jerry avoids talking about Festivus because it reminds him of an awkward family tradition. But when the topic comes up on a holiday card, he can’t resist explaining it to Elaine. George gets annoyed and storms out of the coffee shop, but the Festivus story isn’t over yet. It resurfaces later at Jerry’s apartment, where they discover Kramer engrossed in reading Jerry’s VCR manual.

The Episode’s Title Should Have Always Been “Festivus”

The writers of Seinfeld later said they would have preferred the title “Festivus” for that episode, but “The Strike” focused on revealing Kramer’s past job. The episode showed that twelve years earlier, Kramer and his coworkers at H&H Bagels had gone on strike. When he gets the news that the strike is over, he’s expected to return to work. Jerry and Elaine are both surprised to learn Kramer ever had a job, which makes his usual embarrassment about being unemployed even more comical.

The following day, Kramer bursts into Jerry’s apartment mid-conversation about Jerry’s two-timing date, Gwen. As George tries to sneak out, Jerry jokingly says, “Happy Festivus,” instantly piquing Kramer’s interest. George almost gets away with it, but Elaine walks in and wishes George a Happy Festivus too, and now Kramer won’t stop questioning him about it.

Kramer later encountered Frank at the bagel shop and pressed him for the story behind his unusual holiday. Frank explained that during a frantic search for a Christmas gift for his son, he and another shopper both grabbed for the same doll, leading to a chaotic fight. The doll was broken in the scuffle, and frustrated with the commercialism of Christmas, Frank created Festivus as an alternative.

Honestly, this whole situation screams Kramer. He immediately declares he’s taking December 23rd off, but his boss – who only rehired him for the holiday rush – flat-out denies the request. So, naturally, Kramer goes on strike again, and he and Frank stage a walkout from the bagel shop. You just know that’s when the Festivus miracles are going to start happening!

Festivus Is the Best Kind of Mockery of the Holiday Season

Now that Kramer was excited about Festivus, he and Frank brought the aluminum pole – rescued from the basement – to the coffee shop to start celebrating. George was immediately upset when he saw the pole, and his anxiety increased when he found out they were having a Festivus dinner and everyone was invited. Jerry and Elaine, always up for something unusual, were thrilled, but George was becoming increasingly dreading the whole thing.

Remember how George started the episode by giving gifts at work pretending they were donations to a made-up charity called The Human Fund? His boss, Mr. Kruger, generously “donated” $20,000, which sparked an idea in George’s head. However, when accounting pointed out The Human Fund doesn’t actually exist, Kruger was shocked. This led him to accept an invitation to George’s Festivus dinner, hoping to figure out why George behaves the way he does.

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Festivus kicks off with the “Airing of Grievances,” where everyone shares how they’ve let others down over the past year. Frank Costanza begins by complaining about Mr. Kruger, but quickly moves on to the “Feats of Strength” competition. By the time the festivities are underway at the Costanzas’ house, even Kramer starts to think Festivus is a little too strange.

Festivus doesn’t officially end until someone manages to pin the host in a wrestling match. With no one else volunteering, George is left to wrestle his own father if he wants to finally put an end to the chaotic Festivus celebration. The episode concludes with Estelle Costanza yelling encouragement, proclaiming, “I think you can take him, Georgie!”

This episode is hilarious from beginning to end. Beyond the laughs, its critique of holiday greed and commercialism feels just as important now as it did when it first aired. That’s classic Seinfeld – taking serious issues and flipping them on their head. And what better way to comment on all the commercialism around the holidays than by poking fun at it in the most over-the-top way possible?

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2025-12-25 04:39