Celebrate National Knock-Knock Jokes Day Every October 31
Knock knock.
Who’s there?
Luck.
Luck who?
Luck through the keyhole and you’ll find out.
October 31 isn’t just Halloween. There’s plenty of other things to celebrate, like knock-knock jokes! That’s right, the day also hosts National Knock-Knock Jokes Day.
We have no idea when this day started or who created it. It’s probably safe to assume it was a fan of knock-knock jokes.
This day is different from other joke days during the year, like Tell a Joke Day on August 16 and International Joke Day on July 1.
Why Knock-Knock Jokes?
Who’s there?
Alex.
Alex who?
Alexplain later, now let me in.
Well, because kids (and kids-at-heart) seem to enjoy them to no end.
For many kids, these are the first jokes they learn.
It’s not clear how or where the knock-knock jokes were first created. There are a number of theories, but no proof either way. One theory is that they got their start with the scene in Macbeth in which a character gives a long, rather funny speech using the same pattern as the jokes.
As far as we’ve been able to discover, the first in-print appearance of a knock-knock joke in the form we now know it was in a newspaper column in 1934. It went like this:
Who’s there?
Rufus.
Rufus who?
Rufus the most important part of your house.
Nope. That first joke wasn’t any better than the ones that followed. Just the same, within a few years the knock-knock joke became ridiculously popular.
In the late 1960s they even became a regular bit on Rown & Martin’s Laugh-in.
Scroll down for some ideas on celebrating this unofficially hilarious (or not) holiday.
How to Celebrate National Knock-Knock Jokes Day
Who’s there?
Boo.
Boo who?
Don’t cry, it’s only a knock-knock joke!
This one couldn’t be simpler: Tell knock-knock jokes. All day. Until everybody you know begs you to stop.
(For some people that’ll probably be after the first one).
If the adults in your life have no sense of humor, recruit your favorite youngster to help you celebrate. He or she will love your undivided attention for endless knock-knock jokes!
Has it been too long since you’ve told or heard any knock-knock jokes? (Clearly you spend no time at all with children). Check out these sites for inspiration:
- Kids’ Pages, Knock Knock Jokes from NIH
- Knock-Knock Jokes on A Joke A Day
- Funology Knock Knock Jokes
- Reader’s Digest Knock Knock Jokes
Post your knock-knock jokes on your favorite social media site too, tagged with #KnockKnockJokesDay of course.
You could even go trick-or-treating with the kids as a comedian, and tell knock-knock jokes at every house. They might give you more candy just to make you go away faster!
Who’s there?
Wendy.
Wendy who?
Wendy wind blows de cradle will rock.
Do you know any good (or not so good) knock-knock jokes?
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