National Tell An Old Joke Day

“Why can’t a leopard hide? Because he’s always spotted.” 

Sure, it’s an oldie but it’s also a goodie. That’s why this lame joke, and so many others like it, deserve to be brought out in all of their glory on this important day!

Everyone probably knows someone for whom every day is National Tell An Old Joke Day, but now this is a day when anyone can put aside all of their reticence and let rip with those age old ‘I say, I say, I say’ and ‘Knock, knock’ jokes that will have them rolling on the floor laughing!

History of National Tell An Old Joke Day

This day brings on a special opportunity, offered only one time each year, to raise the nervous wreck from the quivering depths, bring the awful-smelling noseless dog back in from the cold, and press the button for the chicken stuck forever at the pedestrian crossing. Because it is time for National Tell An Old Joke Day!

Like any endangered species, old jokes must reproduce if they are expected not to die out entirely, and the old ones are supposed to be the best, anyway. Of course, it is entirely possible that there may be a lot of groaning from initiates, but there’s no joke so old that at least one person hasn’t heard it yet.

Use an old joke on a young kid and it is much more likely to result in a laugh. After all, why should they be allowed to escape the suffering of everyone else on the planet?

Dad jokes, Knock-knock jokes, riddles and so much more can be enjoyed and appreciated for their timelessness.

Plus, since recycling is such an important part of life these days, why not apply the concept to jokes and introduce them to the younger generations in celebration of National Tell An Old Joke Day?

How to Celebrate National Tell An Old Joke Day

Have a rip-roarin’ good time on National Tell An Old Joke Day by engaging in the fun and delightful business of jokesters. Get started with some of these ideas for celebrating the day.

Tell Some Old Jokes

It’s clear that the most necessary order of business on National Tell an Old Joke Day is to pull out an old joke and repeat it to anyone who will listen.

Try out some of these old faithfuls and see if they get a laugh, a giggle or a chuckle:

• What’s the best part about living in Switzerland? I don’t know but the flag is a big plus.
• What’s black and white, but re(a)d all over? A newspaper!
• What did the ocean say to the shore? Nothing, it just waved.
• Did you hear about the fire at the circus? It was in tents.

Do Some Old Joke Research

For those folks who have a few decades (or more!) under their belt, it might be necessary to pull out that old joke book. Or it could be fun to do a little bit of research to be reminded of the silly and ridiculous old jokes that may have been tucked away in a forgettable part of the memory. Chuckle while reading them, choose the best ones, and then chuckle again while sharing them with friends, family members and coworkers alike.

Read a Book About Jokes

Use the humor of others to get inspired on National Tell An Old Joke Day! Check out one of these books about jokes from a nearby library or pick one up at a local bookstore:

• Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One Before:A History and Philosophy of Jokes by Jim Holt (2008)
• Jokes, Riddles and Funny Stories by Oscar Weigle and Crosby Newell (1973)
• Laughter in Ancient Rome: On Joking, Tickling and Cracking Up by Mary Beard (2015)
• The World’s Oldest Joke Book: Hundreds of Hilariously Terrible Ancient Jokes by Dan Crompton (2011)