Festivus is a holiday celebrated on December 23rd as an alternative to the pressures and commercialism of the Christmas season. The holiday gained popularity after being featured in a 1997 episode of the TV show Seinfeld. One of the most well-known traditions of Festivus is the annual airing of grievances, when participants tell each other about all the ways they have disappointed them in the past year. But before the airing of grievances begins, there is another important Festivus tradition – the greeting.
The Traditional Festivus Greeting
When people gather together to celebrate Festivus, the host or another designated person starts things off by performing what has become known as the traditional Festivus greeting. To perform the greeting, the person loudly declares:
“A Festivus for the rest of us!”
This odd-sounding phrase originated in the Seinfeld episode that featured Festivus and has since caught on as the official way to greet people during the holiday.
Meaning Behind the Greeting
But what exactly does “A Festivus for the rest of us” mean? The phrase is a play on words referencing the nativity holiday celebrated on December 25th, Christmas. The traditional Christmas greeting is “Merry Christmas,” offering wishes for a happy, cheerful, and blessed celebration. Festivus, conceived as an alternative winter holiday, evokes this with its greeting “A Festivus for the rest of us.” It’s essentially declaring “Have a happy Festivus celebration, for all of us celebrating Festivus instead of Christmas.”
The “rest of us” part implies that Festivus is meant for people who want to celebrate a non-commercial, non-Christian December holiday outside the pressures and stress of Christmas. So the full greeting wishes a cheerful Festivus for that group of celebrants, separated from the traditional Christmas holiday.
When the Greeting is Used
The Festivus greeting is recited at the very beginning of Festivus celebrations, as soon as everyone has gathered. The host or designated person will loudly exclaim “A Festivus for the rest of us!” to get things started. People are expected to cheer or shout the greeting in response to show their Festivus spirit. The greeting officially kicks off the start of Festivus fun, with the airing of grievances and other traditions to follow.
Variations of the Greeting
While “A Festivus for the rest of us!” is the standard greeting, people sometimes put their own spin on it. Other variations include:
- “Have yourselves a Festivus for the rest of us!”
- “Happy Festivus for the rest of us!”
- “May you all enjoy a Festivus for the rest of us!”
As long as the phrase contains the words “Festivus for the rest of us,” people recognize it as welcoming them to the offbeat holiday celebration.
History of the Festivus Greeting
So where did this now-famous Festivus greeting originate? The concept for Festivus and all its unique traditions came from the imagination of “Seinfeld” writer Dan O’Keefe. He based the holiday partially on family traditions growing up, claiming his father invented a fake holiday celebrated with odd rituals in response to the commercialization of Christmas.
The first appearance of “A Festivus for the rest of us!” came in the Seinfeld episode “The Strike,” which first aired on December 18, 1997. In the episode, character Frank Costanza explains how he created Festivus as a new tradition after he became disillusioned with the pressures around Christmas gift-giving.
To mark the new holiday, Frank used the declaration “A Festivus for the rest of us!” as a way to distinguish it from Christmas. The gag greeting became an instant classic among Seinfeld fans, establishing it as the official way to wish someone a “Happy Festivus.”
Pop Culture References
Thanks to Seinfeld, the greeting remains tied to Festivus, though it has popped up in other television shows and movies over the years. References include:
- In the sitcom How I Met Your Mother, Barney changes it to “A Festivus for the Rest-of-Us!” when his friends don’t know the actual greeting.
- A character in the show The O.C. shouts it to announce arrival at a Festivus party.
- In the Ben Stiller film The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Walter’s boss uses the greeting via video conference call.
The greeting also frequently appears on greeting cards and other products related to Festivus, solidifying its pop culture status.
| Year | Festivus Greeting References |
|---|---|
| 1997 | Original Seinfeld episode creates the greeting |
| 2005 | Referenced in How I Met Your Mother episode |
| 2007 | Used in The O.C. episode |
| 2013 | Walter’s boss says it in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty |
How to Perform the Greeting
Want to celebrate Festivus and kick things off right with the official greeting? Here are some tips:
- Time it right. Wait until all the guests have arrived and settled in with drinks/food before breaking it out.
- Say it loud and proud. The person reciting the greeting should loudly and proudly project their voice.
- Get excited. Use an enthusiastic, energized tone, like you’re rallying people for a fun event.
- Stretch it out. Draw out and emphasize the words “Festivus” and “us” for maximum effect.
- Use jazz hands. Accompany it with theatrical jazz hands to add a silly flair.
- Get a response. Wait for guests to respond with cheers, shouts, or chants to get pumped up.
Feel free to put your own spin on it too. Just make sure everyone can hear and understand you shout out the quintessential “A Festivus for the rest of us!” message to commence the festivities.
Greeting Etiquette
When using the Festivus greeting, keep these etiquette tips in mind:
- Designate someone upbeat. Pick a cheerful person who will shout it enthusiastically.
- Avoid mumbling. Make sure to enunciate the phrase clearly.
- Have a sense of humor. Recognize the intentionally absurdity of the greeting.
- Allow quirkiness. Let guests be silly and creative in their response.
- Set the tone. Use the greeting to kick off the fun, irreverent mood.
Alternative Greetings
If you want to change up the greeting to kick off your Festivus celebration, here are some funny alternatives to try:
“Let the airing of grievances begin!”
This gets straight to the point about the next Festivus tradition on deck.
“Happy Festivus, ya filthy animals!”
Put a holiday twist on the famous line from the movie Home Alone.
“Friends, fun, Festivus cheer!”
Rhyming always brings more cheer!
“Gather ’round for the feats of strength!”
Let guests know what wacky activities await.
“Time to air some grievances!”
Remind everyone of the pending complaints session.
The creativity is up to you! Just be sure your greeting references Festivus and gets everyone excited for the off-the-wall holiday fun.
Conclusion
The Festivus greeting “A Festivus for the rest of us!” has become a popular catchphrase and quintessential part of celebrating the made-up Seinfeld holiday. Recited to kick off Festivus celebrations, the greeting signals that the evening of escapist traditions and silliness is about to begin. So this December 23rd, be sure whoever is hosting busts out their loudest, peppiest “Festivus for the rest of us!” to get the party started on the right festive foot.
