Festivus

Festivus is a nondenominational holiday featured in an episode of Seinfeld, a popular American television sitcom of the 1990s. It was featured on episode number 166 of the show, entitled "The Strike", which first aired on December 18, 1997. Many people, influenced or inspired by Seinfeld, now celebrate, in varying degrees of seriousness, the holiday in real life. The definitive book on the holiday Festivus: The Holiday for the Rest of Us by Allen Salkin, with a foreword by Jerry Stiller is coming out 26 October 2005.

Other references

• During the 2000 NFL regular season, Baltimore Ravens coach Brian Billick forbade anyone to use the "P-word" (presumably "postseason" or "playoffs") until the team actually played in it. In its place, the word "Festivus" was used. The Super Bowl was then referred to as "Festivus Maximus." The Ravens went on to defeat the New York Giants, 34-7, in Super Bowl XXXV on January 28, 2001.
• Presumably unaware of the irony, the Brisbane Marketing organisation has adopted the name Festivus to refer to its summer holidays programme of events in Brisbane.
• The Sludge metal band Mr. Plow has a tribute to Festivus on their Cock Fights and Pony Races album.
• Festivus is also the name of a band in the Rock-n-Roll Capital of Cleveland, Ohio. The band celebrates the December 23rd holiday every year.