What Is Festivus? How to Celebrate the 'Seinfeld' Holiday on ...

We've got a lot of problems with people who don't think Festivus is a real holiday.

And now you're gonna hear about it.

A "Seinfeld"-themed holiday that Jason Alexander's George Costanza can attest is "all too real" comes every Dec. 23, when fans of the iconic sitcom remember the classic 1997 episode "The Strike."

It's not officially Festivus until the airing of grievances.NBC

The bizarre holiday involving an airing of grievances and feats of strength was invented on the show by Frank Costanza, George's dad, played by late comedy legend Jerry Stiller.

“It’s a Festivus for the rest of us!” Frank Costanza declares.

Here's what to know about the secular holiday.

What is the meaning of Dec. 23 on 'Seinfeld'?

As a card sent to him by his father reminded George in the 1997 episode, Festivus comes every Dec. 23.

In real life, it was invented by the father of former “Seinfeld” writer Dan O’Keefe in 1966. O'Keefe incorporated it into the show when he wrote "The Strike" episode.

Festivus is “a peculiar celebration unique to our peculiar family,” O’Keefe told TODAY in 2016.

“Was I surprised that actual human people adopted a weird TV holiday based on a crazy family tradition that bordered on child endangerment?" O’Keefe joked. “That would be ‘yes.’ As to why this occurred, I believe the answer is clear: it is a sign that the End of Days is upon us.”

As Frank details to Kramer in the classic episode, the no-frills holiday was created as a reaction to the commercialization of Christmas. It was born when Frank said he was battling another man for a coveted doll for young George around Christmastime.

"As I rained blows upon him, I realized there had to be another way," Frank says. "(The doll) was destroyed, but out of that a new holiday was born. A Festivus for the rest of us!"

George was scarred by celebrations of the holiday as a child.

"It’s nothing! It’s a stupid holiday my father invented. It doesn’t exist!" he shouts to Jerry and Elaine early in the episode.

How to celebrate Festivus on Dec. 23You want to get an aluminum pole with a very high strength-to-weight ratio for your Festivus celebration.NBCInstead of a tree, get yourself a plain aluminum pole to display in the house. This is especially true if you're like Frank and "find tinsel distracting." You also want to look for a "very high strength-to-weight ratio" in your Festivus pole. Gather for the airing of grievances. Get the family together around the table "and tell them all the ways they have disappointed you over the past year," as Frank put it. "I got a lot of problems with you people! Now, you’re gonna hear about it," he says. Prepare yourself for feats of strength. This may involve wrestling with the family patriarch in front of everyone. Until you pin him, Festivus is not over. "Stop crying and fight your father," Frank tells a despondent George. You couldn’t smooth a silk sheet if you had a hot date with a babe ... wait, sorry, we lost our train of thought here. Next up is ...Be like Kramer and declare even the mildest coincidence "a Festivus miracle!" Use Festivus as an excuse if you get caught soliciting donations to your fake charity instead of sending out Christmas cards to your coworkers. Tell the boss you don't celebrate Christmas and you were afraid you would be "persecuted" for celebrating Festivus instead.

Scott Stump

Scott Stump is a trending reporter and the writer of the daily newsletter This is TODAY (which you should subscribe to here!) that brings the day's news, health tips, parenting stories, recipes and a daily delight right to your inbox. He has been a regular contributor for TODAY.com since 2011, producing features and news for pop culture, parents, politics, health, style, food and pretty much everything else.