Joke Day (July 1): Best Jokes, History, Celebrations and Facts
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What are your plans for International Joke Day? To have fun, you can read joke books, tell riddles and jokes, or even help your kids write their own jokes.
International Joke Day: History
Some sources say that Wayne Reinagel made up International Joke Day in 1994, but the real history of the day is a bit cloudy. Wayne Reinagel writes fantasy books and wanted to find a way to get the word out about them. The story goes that he realized it was already half-past midnight in 1994 and decided to make International Joke Day. Reinagle says, "I made this day July 1, because the year was officially half over, and I then used it to promote my joke books" .
It doesn't matter where the idea for International Joke Day came from; everyone could use some more humor in their lives. Gelotology is the study of laughter and how it affects our minds and bodies. It has been found that telling jokes, laughing at jokes, and watching funny videos are all good for your health. In his autobiography, "Anatomy of an Illness," Norman Cousins wrote about how laughter can help your body and mind. Funny things, like Marx Brothers movies, and jokes helped him feel better. Laughter lowers blood pressure, lowers stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol, and boosts the immune system, among other things.
Timeline:
1900 B.C.: That’s An Old Joke
The oldest identified joke is an ancient Sumerian proverb featuring toilet humor.
1600 B.C.: Earliest Joke
The Westcar Papyrus contains an example of one of the earliest jokes.
1470: Jokes Compilation
An anthology of jokes “Facetiae” by Poggio Bracciolini is published.
1603: “Knock-Knock!”
Shakespeare introduces the knock-knock joke in his play “Macbeth.”
1847: A Classic
The monthly New York magazine “The Knickerbocker” is the first to publish the classic joke, “Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side.”
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| Photo: InUth |
WHY WE LOVE INTERNATIONAL JOKE DAY?As everyone knows, laughter is the best medicine. But did you know that science backs that up? Studies have shown that laughing is good for both the body and the mind in many ways. It helps the heart by increasing blood flow, boosts the immune system by lowering stress hormones, and even burns calories. Each country has its own funny side, and July 1 is a great day to share that part of your culture. People who are different from each other still love to laugh a lot with other people. International Joke Day helps us remember that laughter brings people together. People have been telling jokes for almost as long as there has been civilization. Some scholars think that the first people to tell jokes were the Greeks, while others say that it goes back to the Sumerians, who lived about 4,000 years ago. And what have been the most common jokes throughout history? In every sense of the word, they told naughty jokes. |
International Joke Day: Celebrations
There are lots of ways to celebrate! If you want to make someone laugh, you could just tell them some jokes. It could be a coworker, a friend, or even a stranger on the street. Or have a party where you tell jokes with your friends! Read jokes from a book or the internet or take turns telling them.
Going to a nearby comedy club to see a professional (or would-be professional) tell jokes is another fun thing you can do. Check to see if the club has open mic nights and think about telling some jokes of your own.
You could watch a DVD of a famous comedian's standup routine, like Robin Williams or Jim Carrey's, if you don't want to go out on the town. Or, a TV channel might show an hour-long standup comedy special with famous comedians, like Daniel Tosh.
Support live comedy
If you want to celebrate International Joke Day in the best way possible, go to a comedy club near you. You can support the club and its comedians while having a great time. It could be a small club in the area with up-and-coming comedians or a well-known company that hires the best people. No matter what, your help means that we'll keep coming up with one-liners for years to come.
Learn a joke
It's much harder to tell a good joke than to remember a few words. You need to know when to speak, how to deliver, how to articulate, and have experience. That being said, why not use this holiday to learn and practice a joke? Think about when you might use it, practice how to say it, and ask your friends to help you. You should always have a joke ready in case someone makes fun of you at an awkward dinner party.
Take a break from the news
It can be hard to keep up with all the news that comes out every hour these days. If you want to avoid the news on July 1, try reading humor sections in any of the top newspapers in the country instead. On the other hand, you can find the funniest things on the internet on Reddit, Buzzfeed, The Onion, or any other site you like. We might get a lot done if we all laughed so hard we hurt, even if it was only for one day.
Funny international jokes:France: “What would a parrot say that got its leg stuck in a freezer? Shiver me timbers.” “ ’You’re a high-priced lawyer! If I give you 500 dollars, will you answer two questions?’ ‘Absolutely! What’s the second question?’ ” Belgium: “Well, you see, there are basically three kinds of people in the world: those who can count and those that can’t.” Sweden: ‘A guy phones the local hospital and yells, ‘You’ve gotta send help! My wife’s in labor!’ The nurse says, ‘Calm down. Is this her first child?’ He replies, ‘No! This is her husband!’ Canada: You know you’re from Canada when…. Driving in the winter is better because all the potholes are filled in with snow. If the local newspaper requires 2 pages for national and international headlines but requires three for hockey. If “vacation” means going anywhere south of Detroit for the weekend. If you’ve had a lengthy telephone conversation with someone who dialed a wrong number. If you find -40C a “little chilly.” China: I was walking down the mall with a friend yesterday when he turned to me and said, “Seeing all those flags on display makes me so proud of my country.” “But Chan, you’re Chinese,” I replied, “All those flags are British.” “No they’re not,” he laughed, “just take a look at those labels!” |
Top 10 Best Jokes in the world
It's likely that you can tell funny stories. We agree. There are some of my favorite jokes that my good friend Cottonball and I are going to tell you. Give these to your family and friends to try!
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