WORLD JUGGLING DAY
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WORLD JUGGLING DAY
World Juggling Day falls on the Saturday closest to June 17. This fun World Day encourages jugglers to unite and celebrate the joy of juggling. We also want to encourage everyone to use World Juggling Day as a time to learn how to juggle.
#WorldJugglingDay
Do you know how to juggle? It’s ok if you can’t because a majority of people can’t juggle either. In fact, only about 21 percent of the general public can juggle. If you want to learn, experts recommend starting with scarves. It’s best to start with two scarves then graduate to three. If you don’t have scarves, you can juggle plastic bags from the grocery store. Once you’ve mastered scarves, then you can move on to balls, rings, or beanbags. However, we don't recommend moving to knives, flaming torches, or chainsaws unless you are an expert!
Jugglers entertained common folk throughout Europe. Some historians believe juggling dates back to 2000 BC in ancient Egypt. Others believe juggling can also be traced back to the Aztec Empire of Mexico. Unsurprisingly, juggling could have also existed in Greek and Roman cultures. Despite not knowing the exact origin, history suggests during the Middle Ages, jugglers were sometimes thought to be witches. During the Renaissance Period, juggling became a way to please kings and queens.
The word juggler comes from the word “jogelen,” which means to entertain.
Juggling came to the U.S. with the circus in 1793. Vaudeville performances included jugglers as well. Throughout the years, juggling has maintained its popularity for both amateurs and professionals.
HOW TO OBSERVE WORLD JUGGLING DAY
World Juggling Day is an opportunity to attend or host a juggling event. Many people also host picnics and barbecues in conjunction with their juggling events. here are a six other ways to participate in World Juggling Day:
Learn how to juggle or teach someone else how to do it.
Look up world records, such as the most balls juggled (11) and the longest three balls were juggled (12 hours and 13 minutes).
Watch juggling videos online.
Host a juggling event in your backyard.
Read about famous jugglers, including Anthony Gatto, Lottie Brunn, and the Flying Karamazov Brothers.
Share this fun day on social media with #WorldJugglingDay.
WORLD JUGGLING DAY HISTORY
The International Jugglers Association (IJA) has hosted World Juggling Day for over 25 years. The day was originally called National Juggling Day, but was changed in 1995. The IJA was founded on June 17, 1947, which is why the date June 17 celebrates World Juggling Day!