National Absurdity Day is celebrated every year on November 20th, giving everyone full permission to embrace the illogical, the nonsensical, and the delightfully silly for a day.
History of National Absurdity Day
The exact origins of National Absurdity Day are unknown, with no documented founder or sponsoring organization on record. Most sources believe it emerged sometime in the late 1990s or early 2000s, drawing on the broader cultural fascination with absurdism, a philosophical and artistic movement that gained real momentum in the aftermath of World War II.
Absurdism as a concept is closely associated with writers and philosophers like Albert Camus, who explored the tension between humans’ search for meaning and an indifferent universe, and playwrights like Samuel Beckett and Eugène Ionesco, whose Theatre of the Absurd depicted illogical, often meaningless scenarios to highlight the strangeness of human existence. National Absurdity Day takes this serious philosophical tradition and flips it into something purely playful, inviting people to celebrate the weird and irrational parts of everyday life rather than examine them too deeply.
10 Ways to Celebrate National Absurdity Day
- Wear mismatched socks or an intentionally backward outfit
- Eat dessert for breakfast, or otherwise flip your usual routine
- Write a short, nonsensical poem or story
- Speak only in rhymes or palindromes for part of the day
- Read or explore absurdist literature and theater
- Share a genuinely absurd historical fact with friends
- Host a silly, no-rules game night
- Rearrange your daily schedule just for the fun of it
- Tell a deliberately illogical joke or story
- Share your absurd moment on social media using #NationalAbsurdityDay
Fun Facts About National Absurdity Day
- The exact founder of National Absurdity Day is unknown, with the observance believed to have emerged sometime in the late 1990s or early 2000s.
- Absurdism as a philosophical movement gained momentum after World War II, exploring the tension between the human search for meaning and an indifferent universe.
- Playwrights Samuel Beckett and Eugène Ionesco are closely associated with the “Theatre of the Absurd,” a genre built around illogical, meaningless scenarios.
- “Alice in Wonderland” is widely considered one of the most famous works of absurdist literature.
- The day is sometimes celebrated most enthusiastically in elementary schools, where embracing genuine silliness carries fewer social consequences than it does for working adults.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is National Absurdity Day?
National Absurdity Day is celebrated annually on November 20th.
What is absurdism?
Absurdism is a philosophical and artistic movement exploring the tension between humans’ search for meaning and an indifferent, often illogical universe, closely associated with thinkers like Albert Camus.
Who started National Absurdity Day?
The exact founder isn’t documented. The observance is believed to have emerged organically sometime in the late 1990s or early 2000s.