International Clown Week
Exploring playful characters, spreading joy with colorful costumes, and delighting audiences with whimsical performances and antics.
Put on those silly clothes, learn some tricks, and get ready to start clowning around because it’s time to celebrate International Clown Week!
History of International Clown Week
While it might feel like a recent event, Clown Week can actually be traced back more than 70 years when it was celebrated in the 1950s on a rather small scale. The event grew in scope and, in 1966, the President of the Clown Club of America worked hard to request national proclamation of the Clown Week.
By 1969, a joint resolution was introduced to the United States Congress and that year it was even organized for a group of clowns to visit the senate building in Washington DC! The next year, National Clown Week made it to the desk of US President Richard M. Nixon for approval, which was signed into law on August 2, 1971.
Since many clown organizations host international constituencies, in 1988 it was decided to move beyond the national title and include folks all over the globe by naming it International Clown Week!
How to Celebrate International Clown Week
Enjoy seven full days of celebrating the fun of clowns by getting involved with International Clown Week including some of these ideas and activities:
Dress Like a Clown
Forget just sending in the clowns – it’s time to become the clowns! International Clown Week acts as a perfect invitation for light-hearted individuals to become someone else entirely for the day, or even for the whole week. Clowns can come in all shapes, sizes and styles, but one thing is for sure, that they are a bit quirky. Many clowns enjoy wearing a brightly colored wig, white face paint, red lips and painted facial features, along with mis-matched clothing. But this is a great time to get creative and make an individual style out of it!
Host a Clown Party
Have loads of fun on International Clown Week by inviting people to an all-out clown party. Usually one clown is invited to the party and expected to entertain everyone, but this time, everyone can be the clown! Family, friends, neighbors, school kids, or even the whole community can dress up with their big shoes, red noses, striped pants and polka dotted ties.
Enjoy a playlist of circus type music for clowning around and be sure to be decorated with bright colors, streamers and balloons. Serve snacks and treats like cupcakes decorated to look like clown faces. And don’t forget to support fun activities like hula hoops, limbo sticks, and making balloon animals!
Watch a Movie About Clowns
Some people find clowns to be fun and others have turned them into a bit of a scary thing. But in any case, those who are celebrating International Clown Week may be interested in grabbing a bucket of popcorn and settling down to watch some amazing movies that feature clowns. Pick up a favorite one of your own or check out one of these:
- The Clown (1953) featuring Red Skelton
- Send in the Clowns (1986)
- The Greatest Show on Earth (1952)
- Leave ‘Em Laughing (1981) with Mickey Rooney
