Photo by Isabel Bonebrake/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Brady Street has an annual Festivus party in early December where the bars host the airing of grievances, feats of strength, live music and a holiday market. Photo courtesy of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Are you tired of the commercial season of Christmas and feel like a humbug? Perhaps consider exploring a new tradition and celebrate Festivus right here in Milwaukee or bring the spirit to your home. 

Festivus is a secular holiday celebrated on Dec. 23 as an alternative to the pressures felt during the Christmas season. Its origin dates back to “The Strike,” an episode from the 1990s television show “Seinfeld.”

Festivus is a low-maintenance holiday that features an unadorned aluminum pole in place of a tree. Additionally, the holiday includes the “airing of grievances,” where you tell others how they have let you down, and the “feats of strength” where the head of the family must be pinned down. 

In the show, Frank Costanza, played by the late Jerry Stiller, created the holiday. In real life, it was created by Dan O’Keefe. His son, Dan O’Keefe Jr., was a writer on “Seinfeld.”

Milwaukee offers various options to celebrate Festivus for students looking for a unique holiday experience. 

Brady Street has an annual Festivus party in early December where the bars host the airing of grievances, feats of strength, live music and a holiday market. The tradition will return next year.

Once you settle into the bar of your choice on Brady Street, Festivus elves bring you a piece of paper to write down what brought you the most anger in the past year. The elves then collect the grievances and pick the best one as the winner. 

While the feats of strength are depicted as a wrestling match in “Seinfeld,” Brady Street brings its own twist as participants gather around the Festivus pole and hold up buckets filled with bottles of Bud Light. The person who holds their buckets the longest wins the pole and the admiration of those watching.

Besides Brady Street, the Milwaukee Admirals have had games in the past celebrating Festivus. In 2022, the Admirals had actor Kevin McDonald, who played Denim Vest guy in the “Seinfeld” Festivus episode, present to sign autographs and participate in the festivities. 

Additionally, since 2005, staff at Wagner Metal Works in Milwaukee have been manufacturing Festivus poles that resemble its “aluminum, high strength-to-weight ratio” as described in the show.

Wagner Metal Works owns the copyright to the term “Festivus pole” and sells poles on the website festivuspoles.com. The company has sold these poles worldwide from the state capitol building to Australia. 

“Seinfeld” has been off the air for over 25 years, but the spirit of Festivus continues to be present in Milwaukee.

In the words of Frank Costanza, “Festivus for the rest of us!”

This story was written by Gabriel Mannion. He can be reached at [email protected].

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