Did Seinfeld ditch Scientology for Festivus?

Jerry Seinfeld caused a stir on Access Hollywood when he revealed he’d dabbled in Scientology.

“I did some Scientology courses about 30 years ago,” Jerry told Billy. “The only thing that bothers me about people knowing that is that it is not my complete wacko resume. It’s just one aspect!

"I just did a little but I liked it," he said.

Why did he stop?

“I don’t know... I was kind of flitting from thing to thing. I was interested in exploring.”

Remember, it was a show about nothing, after all.

Although Seinfeld didn't continue with Scientology, he in effect created a new religious holiday. Festivus is an annual holiday invented in 1966 by Reader's Digest writer and editor Dan O'Keefe, (author of an amazing book called Stolen Lightning: The Social Theory of Magic-- but that's another story).

O'Keefe's son was a writer for Sienfeld, and worked the festival into a 1997 episode of the show. The festival includes novel traditions like the "Airing of Grievances" and "Feats of Strength."

In the show, Frank Costanza explains how he created Festivus as an alternative holiday in response to the commercialization of Christmas:

Frank Costanza: Many Christmas' ago, I went to buy a doll for my son. I reached for the last one they had, but so did another man. As I rained blows upon him, I realized there had to be another way.

Cosmo Kramer: What happened to the doll?

Frank Costanza: It was destroyed. But out of that a new holiday was born: a Festivus for the rest of us!

Instead of a Christmas tree, Festivus focuses on an unadorned aluminum pole (see photo):

Cosmo Kramer: Is there a tree?

Frank Costanza: No, instead, there's a pole. It requires no decoration. I find tinsel distracting.

Frank Costanza: It's made from aluminum. Very high strength-to-weight ratio.

Mr. Kruger: I find your belief system fascinating.

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