Stick Out Your Tongue Day
Playfully expressing rebellion or conveying a cheeky jest, this non-verbal gesture adds a dash of spontaneous charm.
Whether in playful banter or a rather rude gesture, sticking out your tongue is a way of engaging with other people. And while most adults might have gotten out of the habit of doing this on the regular, today is a special day for it. It’s time to celebrate Stick Out Your Tongue Day!
History of Stick Out Your Tongue Day
National Stick Out Your Tongue Day seems to have been the brainchild of a group of friends who wanted to show their silly side and just have a little bit of fun! It’s a perfect time to get involved with some hijinx and mockery by embracing that inner child, making some ridiculous faces and inviting others to join in on the fun.
Of course, depending on the culture a person is in, they may find sticking out your tongue more or less offensive. While in many places the people might believe it to be offensive, some people groups have different perspectives on sticking out the tongue. Much of it depends on the context of the situation, as well as other factors such as the age of the person doing it.
For instance, in the Maori warrior culture in East Polynesia, the gesture is used as a form of defiance. Head over to Asia and the people of the Tibetan culture use sticking out the tongue as a traditional greeting that hails back several centuries. And in various places throughout the world, a person might stick out their tongue when they are concentrating or ruminating.
Of course, sticking out your tongue is also something that the doctor typically asks a patient to do if they are feeling a sore throat, so perhaps this would be a great time to head on over to the doctor for a checkup? There are all sorts of ways to interpret the motivation behind Stick Out Your Tongue Day, but the ways of celebrating it can certainly be creative and inspirational.
How to Celebrate Stick Out Your Tongue Day
Have a jolly good time with some wacky banter and nonsensical faces by celebrating Stick Out Your Tongue Day with some of these ideas:
Stick Out Your Tongue
Obviously, the activity of the day is indicated in the name, so the first order of business is to practice sticking out that tongue! To get started, perhaps try it out in the mirror first as a way to laugh at yourself in the morning. Then, try sticking out your tongue at your spouse or children at the breakfast table. Move on to sticking out your tongue at a coworker or the boss (as long as they have a good sense of humor!).
It might even be fun to raise awareness for Stick Out Your Tongue Day by taking a silly photo of yourself, perhaps along with a group of friends who are also sticking out their tongues, and post it on social media. Invite others to join in and stick their tongues back out at you, just for the fun of it.
Practice Good Oral Hygiene
Many people don’t realize that the tongue is a breeding ground for germs, so in honor of Stick Out Your Tongue Day (and every day, really), make sure that tongue is in tip top condition! Most dentists will say that brushing the tongue is an important part of everyday oral hygiene that goes along with brushing the teeth. Some manufacturers of dental care products even make special brushes and cleaners that are meant to be used specifically on the tongue. Follow up with a cleansing mouthwash or oral rinse to be sure everything in your mouth is clean, fresh and germ-free!
Learn Fun Facts About the Tongue
If it’s a day to stick out the tongue, then why not take the opportunity to learn a bit more about this fascinating organ and share with others to raise awareness about the day. Get started with some of these interesting bits of trivia about the tongue in honor of Stick Out Your Tongue Day:
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The tongue is made up of eight different muscles and although it is not the strongest muscle in the body, it is one of the most flexible.
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While many people think that those small bumps that can be seen on the tongue are taste buds, they are actually the papillae which house the thousands of taste buds each tongue has.
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On average, tongues are four inches long from tongue to tip, but some are even longer – the longest tongue ever measured was about eight inches long!
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