People Are Really Into Celebrating Festivus on Twitter Because There's No Better Place to Air Grievances
It’s the holidays and for some people that catch-all phrase includes celebrating Festivus — the festival for the rest of us.
Festivus was added to the long list of end-of-the-year celebrations thanks to a 1997 episode of Seinfeld called “The Strike.” In it, George Costanza’s father, Frank (Jerry Stiller), memorably decided he was staging a one-man war on Christmas and starting his own tradition: Festivus.
While Seinfeld popularized the holiday, Festivus had existed, albeit in obscurity for years prior to its national television debut. According to a 2004 New York Times interview, sitcom writer Dan O’Keefe’s dad discovered Festivus in a book of obscure holidays, and his affinity for it inspired the episode O’Keefe later wrote.
The TV show helped cement the holiday in popular lore and now, every December 23rd (selected because Frank wanted “to get a leg up on Christmas”) people celebrate Festivus by erecting poles, engaging in feats of strength, and taking part in an annual airing of grievances.
Since there is no place better to air grievances than on Twitter, many users are taking to the social media site to mark the holiday. This year, celebrants getting in on the Festivus fun include political leaders, airports, and the dictionary, and regular people taking advantage of the holiday to let it all out. Here are some of our favorite grievances being aired online:
🚙Out of state drivers in the left lane
🗣People who pronounce it Joisey
🙄Central Jersey deniers
🤡NJGov haters
Just a few of our grievances this year. Happy #Festivus, New Jersey! pic.twitter.com/OoqZfkNXdw— New Jersey ☃️ (@NJGov) December 23, 2019
Happy #Festivus! @JohnFetterman joined me to read some of the grievances you’ve aired with us on Twitter.
We sat out the feats of strength this year because I didn’t want to embarrass John in front of the entire commonwealth. pic.twitter.com/zNChUQKG1Z— Governor Tom Wolf (@GovernorTomWolf) December 23, 2019
Good morning and Happy Festivus! Today there will be many, many grievances aired, almost all in good fun. pic.twitter.com/I0t9fRD27N
— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) December 23, 2019
A festivus for the rest of us! We’re happy to inform that all of our APM’s have several poles (very high strength-to-weight ratio) to celebrate today’s date, no tinsel décor of course cause that’s distracting. Happy #Festivus! pic.twitter.com/VbCXFG73nP
— Orlando International Airport (@MCO) December 23, 2019
Happy Festivus!
For those of you traveling through the airport with a #Festivus pole:
👊 Place it in its own bin at security.
👊 Please make sure you put it down BEFORE the airing of grievances. pic.twitter.com/U7lptDjbJ8— DFW Airport (@DFWAirport) December 23, 2019
The word kvetch means "to complain, especially chronically."
It's also incredibly fun to say. Consider this a happy Festivus gift to you and yours. https://t.co/7ORPA08ICr pic.twitter.com/h2SgQak3GY— Dictionary.com (@Dictionarycom) December 23, 2019
Wishing all a Happy Festivus! pic.twitter.com/ZhZjMzHPxV
— Schlichtman 2020 Committee (@Paul4ARL) December 23, 2019
Happy Festivus. To celebrate the holiday season, a charitable donation in your name has been made to The Human Fund. pic.twitter.com/m3ecDgUOVC
— Rüssell (@stretch_aye) December 23, 2019
Happy #Festivus! Here's Yogi's most memorable airing of grievances. #HeWasOut pic.twitter.com/Woj6haYrAG
— Yogi Berra Museum (@Yogi_Museum) December 23, 2019
Happy Festivus everyone, now stop crying and fight your father pic.twitter.com/qoYWisuPIE
— Seinfeld Madness (@seinfeldmadness) December 23, 2019