Opposite Day, also known as National Opposite Day in the United States, is celebrated on January 25th by doing things in the opposite way they should be done. This means that this day is celebrated, or not celebrated as may be the case, by doing everything the wrong way. While it is not an official holiday anywhere in the world, it is often mainly observed by school children, although a growing number of people have begun acknowledging the holiday on social media by using the hashtag #nationaloppositeday.

History of Opposite Day

While no one really knows the origin of Opposite Day, it is believed to date back to an old childhood game from the turn of the 20th century. This game involved children asking each other silly and often nonsensical questions and then reversing the answers to make one another laugh. Today, some people claim that there is no way to celebrate Opposite Day due to the Opposite Day Paradox.

This paradox means that technically this anti-holiday can’t really exist. If you claim that a particular day is Opposite Day, then according to the rules of the day, the truth would have to be the opposite of what you just said, which means that Opposite Day cannot exist.

Opposite Day Customs & Celebrations

The one rule of Opposite Day is that everything should be done in the opposite way to how you do it on a normal day. This means that you can celebrate the holiday by having breakfast for dinner or by talking backward. You can also put your clothes on backward, walk backward, or say the opposite of what you actually mean.

Just be sure to tell your friends, coworkers, and family that you are celebrating this holiday—or things can get really weird, really fast. Some people say things sarcastically on social media sites and apps such as Facebook and Twitter. When they do that, they will then use the hashtag #nationaloppositeday or #oppositeday.