Festivus from 'Seinfeld' actually has its roots in a real holiday a writer's dad invented

Festivus is here and many “Seinfeld” fans may be surprised to hear that the holiday is not just a joke invented by the hit sitcom in 1997.

The "Seinfeld" inspired holiday includes a large Festivus dinner, an airing of grievances, a bare pole in lieu of a Christmas tree and, of course, feats of strength between family members. Despite being a later installment in the show’s 9 season run, Festivus became a cultural touchstone, joining the myriad of other inside jokes among fans that have caught on over the years ("yada, yada, yada," "shrinkage," "No soup for you," etc.). 

However, despite how wacky Festivus sounds, "Seinfeld" writer Dan O’Keefe revealed in a 2015 interview with Uproxx that the holiday is actually based on one his own father, fellow writer Daniel O’Keefe, created in 1966.  Furthermore, the real version of Festivus is somehow much, much weirder.