Opposite Day

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Opposite Day is a game which is practiced by children and also used tongue-in-cheek by adults especially.[citation needed] Typically, when Opposite Day is declared, statements always mean the opposite of what they say. In the sense that it "excuses" untrue statements, it is related to the notion that crossed fingers automatically nullify promises. It has also been proposed by several authors as a children's game. Play has been compared to a children's "philosophy course",[1] employed as an educational aid and suggested as preparation for "standardized testing".

Expressing the fact that it is currently Opposite Day is rather difficult, as "it's Opposite Day" is always a false statement, and "it isn't Opposite Day" is always true, assuming the participation of the speaker is required. One way around this is to state that opposite day will begin at the conclusion of the statement which is declaring it to be Opposite Day. Thus, the holiday can serve as a child's first introduction to the liar paradox. However, some crafty children have overcome this by declaring it on the day before, wherein saying "Tomorrow will be opposite day," is true (assuming there are not two opposite days in a row).

19th-century Democratic Congressman and infamous prankster Alexander Kerr Craig is credited as the inventor of Opposite Day1

[edit] Opposite Day in popular culture

Opposite Day sometimes appears in children's television shows and comics in which one character proclaims today to be "Opposite Day" and all the other characters attempt to figure out how to behave on such a day.Usually taken Place on June 7th.

[edit] See also

  1. ^ Shelton,Sandi Kahn (2001). Preschool Confidential. Macmillan. pp. 232-234. ISBN 9780312254582. 

1: http://www.parentsconnect.com/do/day_opposite_celebrate.jhtml

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