It’s a festivus for the rest of us

Happy Festivus, Wichita.

December 23 is known as Festivus, an alternative holiday that gained notoriety after a 1997 episode of the comedy television series Seinfeld.

“A Festivus for the rest of us!” declares Frank, a character on the show.

It’s an intentionally simple holiday. One tradition is an airing of grievances, which is exactly what is sounds like.

“I got a lot of problems with you people! And now you’re gonna hear about it!” Frank says.

Twitter did not exist in 1997. But Seinfeld’s official account is celebrating the holiday by teaching its followers how to make a Festivus pole, which is made of a metal pole, wood, glue and tape.

While clearly beginning as a parody religion, some people truly celebrate the holiday for the points it makes about the rest of the holiday season.

“Festivus has become a real holiday for those among us who love having an alternative to the commercial, religious and sentimental aspects of Christmas,” according to a BBC editorial. “Festivus can serve as a rebuke to not only the commercialism of Christmas but the onslaught of other pseudo-holidays such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday, which are entirely based around spending.”

Despite that anti-commercial sentiment, you can buy plenty of Festivus swag online—for a price.

Enjoy your Festivus.

This story was originally published December 23, 2016 at 7:58 AM with the headline "It’s a festivus for the rest of us."