Festivus is a holiday celebrated on December 23rd that became popularized after it was featured in an episode of the hit 90s sitcom Seinfeld. Since the holiday was created for the show, there are no official Festivus episodes of Seinfeld or any other program on Netflix or other streaming platforms.
However, the classic Seinfeld episode that featured Festivus does give viewers insight into how the holiday is celebrated with its unique customs and traditions. For Seinfeld fans hoping to stream a Festivus episode, unfortunately that specific episode is not currently available on Netflix or Hulu.
About Festivus
Festivus was created by author Daniel O’Keefe and popularized after it was featured in the Seinfeld episode ‘The Strike’ which aired on December 18, 1997 as part of season 9. In the episode, Frank Costanza (played by Jerry Stiller) reveals to his son George (played by Jason Alexander) how he created Festivus as an alternative holiday celebrating the season without the pressures and commercialism of Christmas.
According to Frank, the holiday features practices such as the ‘Airing of Grievances’ where each person tells everyone else about how they disappointed them in the past year, and ‘Feats of Strength’ where the head of the household challenges another person to a wrestling match. The Festivus dinner takes place around an unadorned aluminum pole rather than a decorated tree.
Festivus on Seinfeld
In the Seinfeld episode, George is surprised to learn about this odd holiday his father created and invented strange traditions for. But the Costanzas insist on celebrating with their own Festivus traditions rather than a traditional Christmas. This results in comedically awkward moments at the Festivus dinner. However, the absurdist nature of Festivus proves all too relatable for George.
Real Life Festivus Celebrations
After the Seinfeld episode aired, Festivus gained popularity in real life as well. Many fans now celebrate Festivus on December 23rd as a tongue-in-cheek holiday festival making use of the traditions from the show. Festivus celebrations often include:
- An unadorned aluminum pole
- Festivus dinner
- Airing of Grievances
- Feats of Strength competitions
- Festivus miracles
- Festivus greeting cards and decorations
The holiday provides a chance to celebrate the season in an offbeat and irreverent way rather than just following familiar Christmas traditions. More recently, a few other television shows and movies have included references to Festivus traditions.
The Seinfeld Festivus Episode Not on Netflix
‘The Strike’ is the 166th episode of Seinfeld and originally aired on December 18, 1997 as part of season 9. It has a runtime of 22 minutes like most Seinfeld episodes.
In ‘The Strike’ the character Frank Costanza explains how he created Festivus back in the 1960s when he became disillusioned with the commercialism of Christmas. Frank’s son George reluctantly participates in the family Festivus dinner along with Jerry, Elaine, Kramer, and George’s girlfriend at the time.
The episode features the Festivus traditions like the aluminum pole, airing of grievances, and feats of strength. George’s girlfriend gets upset at him during the airing of grievances and leaves. The episode ends focusing on George being glad he has an excuse not to give her a Christmas gift.
Why ‘The Strike’ Isn’t on Netflix
Unfortunately for Festivus fans, ‘The Strike’ is not currently available to stream on Netflix. In fact, no Seinfeld episodes are available on the platform.
From 2015-2021, all 180 Seinfeld episodes were streaming on Hulu thanks to a deal made with Sony Pictures Television. However, Netflix signed an exclusive deal for the global streaming rights to Seinfeld starting in October 2021.
So all nine seasons of the show moved to Netflix at that time. But as of October 2022, season 7 and several other popular episodes like ‘The Strike’ are no longer streaming. This is due to Netflix’s 5 year streaming deal expiring, so the company opted not to renew streaming rights to all episodes.
It’s not clear if or when Netflix will regain rights to stream season 7 and ‘The Strike’ again. For now, the Festivus episode is not streaming on Netflix or Hulu. Seinfeld fans will have to wait and see if it returns to one of these platforms in the future.
Other Festivus TV Episodes
Since Seinfeld helped popularize Festivus, the holiday has been referenced in TV shows over the years. While these don’t focus on the festival like ‘The Strike’, they do mention Festivus traditions.
The O.C. – “The Best Chrismukkah Ever”
This 2003 episode of teen drama The O.C. mentions Festivus when the character Seth Cohen experiences some Airing of Grievances during a fight at school.
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia – “A Very Sunny Christmas”
In this 2009 holiday episode, the character Frank Reynolds explains how he celebrates Festivus.
The League – “The Curse of Shiva”
Festivus gets brought up a few times in this 2012 episode when the characters debate weird Christmas traditions.
Glee – “Previously Unaired Christmas”
The glee club in this 2013 episode performs a Festivus-themed song during their holiday episode.
Bob’s Burgers – “Father of the Bob”
This 2014 Christmas special briefly depicts an Airing of Grievances during the Belcher family’s holiday dinner.
Grey’s Anatomy – “Let’s All Go to the Bar”
There’s a reference made to Festivus in this 2018 midseason premiere episode.
Finding Festivus Online
While the iconic Seinfeld Festivus episode isn’t streaming, fans can still get a peek at the holiday online.
Many clips showing highlights and key scenes from ‘The Strike’ are available on YouTube and other sites. And searching for Festivus online also brings up photos, cards, decorations, and more content celebrating the quirky made up holiday.
The Festivus web site also details the holiday’s origins and traditions. So devoted fans can still get their Festivus fix each December.
Conclusion
Unfortunately the classic Seinfeld episode that started it all, ‘The Strike’, is not streaming on Netflix currently. However, the offbeat holiday of Festivus lives on in pop culture and real life celebrations even without streaming access to that original episode.
Festivus fans can look forward to the day that Seinfeld rights allow ‘The Strike’ to return to Netflix or Hulu. In the meantime, clips and Festivus trivia online will have to tide them over.