Observance Daily What day is today, and why are we celebrating it?
National Knock Knock Joke Day is celebrated every year on 31 October, encouraging people of all ages to tell knock-knock jokes.
History: knock-knock jokes are call-and-answer jokes that start with Knock, knock, followed by Who is there, then a name, then a pun punchline. The form first appeared in a 1929 book, and the modern pun version boomed in the 1930s, with some tracing an early stage to Shakespeare’s Macbeth and to children’s games. The holiday itself is a lighthearted internet-era observance, traced back to at least the mid-2000s, with no single documented founder. It fittingly falls on Halloween, a day when children knock on doors while trick-or-treating.
How to celebrate: learn five clean knock-knock jokes, tell one at the door while trick-or-treating, share your best joke on social media, and teach children the call-and-answer pattern. Examples: Knock, knock. Who is there? Boo. Boo who? Do not cry, it is just a joke.
Facts: knock-knock jokes are among the first jokes children learn; they work in most English-speaking countries; laughter is linked to social bonding and mood.
Related: see also https://observancedaily.com/october-31