INTERNATIONAL JOKE DAY
International Joke Day falls at the halfway point in the year on July 1st. The day encourages laughter. What better way to start the second half of the year than by chuckling and with a smile?
The laughter produced by a good joke is a universal human experience. All cultures and all peoples laugh, and a good joke is one way to prompt laughter. And with that laughter comes good health. One pioneer in laughter research, William Fry, claimed it took ten minutes on a rowing machine for his heart rate to reach the level it would after just one minute of hearty laughter.
- Helps you relax like a good massage.
- Boosts your immune system and can help fight off colds.
- Makes you feel good with a boost of endorphins.
- Boosts your cardiovascular system like good exercise.
- Diffuses anger and angry situations.
A study by the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore tracked benefits of laughing at a good joke. Using a questionnaire, the study determined that subjects with heart disease were 40 percent less likely to laugh in many situations compared to those without heart disease; on the contrary, they were more prone to anger and hostility.
Art of the Joke
The art of telling a joke can be tricky. Have you ever heard two people tell the same joke differently? While they may both use the same words and tell the same story, each one used different pacing and voice. How we deliver each element of the joke has as much to do with the joke as the words. Jokes also have an element of truth to them, too. And like a magician, the storyteller sometimes uses misdirection to preserve the element of surprise at the end.
A variety of jokes make us laugh. From knock, knock jokes to riddles and long stories with humorous endings, laughter is the theme of the day.
HOW TO OBSERVE #InternationalJokeDay
Go to a live comedy act. Watch a standup comedian on TV. Learn a new joke and share the benefits of a good laugh. Host a dinner with a joke required for entrance. Need a good joke? Since short jokes are easier to remember, find them here.
Use #InternationalJokeDay to share on social media.
INTERNATIONAL JOKE DAY HISTORY
Created by author and graphic artist Wayne Reinagel in 1994: “I made this day July 1, because the year was officially half over, and I then used it to promote my joke books.”