Many folks in the Delaware Valley celebrate Christmas and Hanukkah, but if you don’t, “that’s okay,” as Joe Cordell once said. Certainly not everybody in this region is Christian or Jewish, or perhaps you just aren’t into the commercial aspects of the holiday season.

That would put you in the same boat as author Daniel O’Keefe, who conceived the idea of “Festivus” in 1966 as a holiday alternative, a secular gathering that takes place on December 23rd of every year, which happens to be today.

The “holiday” was, of course, made famous in the season nine Seinfeld episode titled “The Strike,” which was written by O’Keefe’s son. Festivus swaps out a holiday tree for a standalone aluminum pole, with traditional observances making way for the “airing of grievances” and “feats of strength” instead.

George Costanza tells the rest of the story:

“The tradition of Festivus begins with the airing of grievances. I’ve got a lot of problems with you people! Now, you’re gonna hear about them.”

Classic line.

A couple of other tidbits from the New York Times:

The original Festivus was constantly in flux.

“It was entirely more peculiar than on the show,” the younger Mr. O’Keefe said from the set of the sitcom “Listen Up,” where he is now a writer. There was never a pole, but there were airings of grievances into a tape recorder and wrestling matches between Daniel and his two brothers, among other rites.

…

His father, a former editor at Reader’s Digest, said the first Festivus took place in February 1966, before any of his children were born, as a celebration of the anniversary of his first date with his wife, Deborah. The word “Festivus” just popped into his head, he said from his home in Chappaqua, N.Y.

Great stuff there. It’s a Festivus, for the rest of us.