#funholidays

The idea behind the holiday is that the opposite of war and suffering should not be to passively observe peace. Instead, people must actively participate in the celebration of life.

First in 1996

The holiday is inspired by the ending of the 1995 novel, Flight: A Quantum Fiction Novel, by Vanna Bonta, where a countdown is set to April 3, 2000 when a worldwide synchronized celebration occurs. The first Party Day was held around the world in 1996.

How to Celebrate?

Research suggests that meeting new people from different cultures helps cultivate intercultural understanding and harmony. So why not throw a party for your family and friends and ask them to bring their friends and coworkers along?

Organize a block party. Peace begins at home and by being neighborly. Spend time with your neighbors and celebrate your neighborhood.

What about partying for a cause? Host a party and have your guests contribute to a cause close to your and your heart.

Whatever you do and whoever you party with, remember that you need no excuse to celebrate life and to be good to others.

Did You Know…

…that the use of the word, party, to refer to a gathering where people have a good time dates back to 1922?

The holiday of unknown origins comes just a few days after another holiday that celebrates trickery and lying - April Fool's Day and a few weeks before Honesty Day, a made-up holiday that honors the virtue of honesty and truth-telling.

Acceptable Lying

While the name suggests that the holiday encourages people to tell lies all day long, we would like to think that the day is not an actual celebration of lying but an acknowledgment that lying is part of life, and sometimes people have to lie to make others feel better. Such lies are called white lies and are possibly the only form of lying acceptable within most religions, cultures, and societies.

Other acceptable forms of lying include: lying while playing a game (bluffing), lies made for the purposes of amusement of the liar or other people (jocose lies), and untruthful statements made without any malicious intent (honest lie).

This holiday is also known as National Tell a Lie Day in the US.

How to Celebrate?

While we cannot in good conscience endorse or encourage lying, here are some harmless ways to celebrate this "fictional" holiday:

Missed April Fool's Day? Use this day to make up for it by playing harmless tricks on friends, family, and colleagues.

Make up silly stories about harmless things and recount them to the people around you. Who knows, you may even get a laugh or two out of your listeners!

Read more about how to detect deception and lying.

Play games that require bluffing.

Read tales that warn people about the dangers of lying. Some of these tales include The Boy who Cried Wolf and Pinocchio.

Did You Know...

...that a true or false response to the question this statement is not true leads to a contradiction called the Liar's Paradox? If the response to this statement is that it is true, then the statement is false, and if the response to the statement is that it is false, then the statement is true.

Common courtesy is a culturally dependent practice that reflects our character and moral fiber. It involves basic behaviors that are acceptable in different social and cultural settings. Some universal courtesies include saying please and thank you, maintaining hygiene standards, not making rude gestures, and respecting elders. This practice creates a tight-knit group, where everyone follows the same practices. Researchers suggest that this evolutionary behavior helps identify and deny in-group benefits to people from different tribes. People who are kind and polite tend to be treated with more friends and admirers. Celebrating common courtesy can help change behavior and improve interactions.