I asked myself this question today, and a little Googling confirmed what I thought: Festivus is usually on Dec. 23, but can be celebrated any day in December. For the sake of Festivus camaraderie, I'm going to celebrate it on Dec. 23, but I think I'll erect (tee hee) my Festivus pole this week.

The kind folks at The Wagner Companies sent me a pole after I wrote an article about them a few years ago.

The Wagner Companies, a Brown Deer-based business that makes handrail fittings and metal products for architectural and industrial applications, is one of the only makers of Festivus poles in the nation.

Inspired by a 1997 episode of "Seinfeld" in which Frank Costanza (played by Jerry Stiller) introduced the country to his holiday of choice, Festivus became an instant cult celebration.

In the episode, Costanza says he invented Festivus when he got into a tug-of-war at a department store with another Christmas shopper over a doll. "I realized there had to be a better way," he says.

That "better way" became the anti-holiday called Festivus.

Festivus encourages participants to commemorate in a creative way like putting up a decoration-less aluminum pole (Costanza finds tinsel "very distracting"), the airing of grievances (tell each family member how he or she let you down during the year), performing feats of strength (wrestling WWF-style with family members) and the giving of completely useless gifts.