Opposite Day is a
make believe
Make believe, also known as pretend play, is a loosely structured form of play that generally includes role-play, object substitution and nonliteral behavior. What separates play from other daily activities is its fun and creative aspect rather t ...
game usually played by children. Conceptually, Opposite Day is a
holiday
A holiday is a day set aside by custom or by law on which normal activities, especially business or work including school, are suspended or reduced. Generally, holidays are intended to allow individuals to celebrate or commemorate an event or tra ...
where things are said and done in an opposite manner. It is not a holiday on any calendar and therefore one can declare that any day of the year is Opposite Day (sometimes retroactively) to indicate something which will be said, or has just been said should be understood opposite to its original meaning (similar to the practice of
crossed fingers
To cross one's fingers is a hand gesture commonly used to wish for luck. Occasionally it is interpreted as an attempt to implore God for protection.''Orange Coast Magazine''. Emmis Communications. May 1990. pg. 177. "In early Christian days, a ...
to automatically nullify promises).
Game mechanics
Despite the name, Opposite Day does not necessarily last for one 24-hour calendar day. Opposite Day begins when someone declares it to be Opposite Day, and ends whenever they stop. Participants often need to use
reverse psychology Reverse psychology is a technique involving the assertion of a belief or behavior that is opposite to the one desired, with the expectation that this approach will encourage the subject of the persuasion to do what is actually desired. This techniqu ...
and
antonyms
In lexical semantics, opposites are words lying in an inherently incompatible binary relationship. For example, something that is ''long'' entails that it is not ''short''. It is referred to as a 'binary' relationship because there are two members ...
in order to effectively communicate. People will say one thing when it means another.
In childhood development
The game has also been compared to a children's "
philosophy
Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. Some ...
course" in the way that it encourages children to think. While certain things have clear and obvious opposites, such as "yes" and "no" or "black" and "white," anything outside a clear binary can be hard to find clear opposites for. For instance, what is the opposite of ice cream? What is the opposite of taking a bath?
When a child is learning about opposites, they are learning skills they will use in math, science, and reading. In language therapy, opposites or antonyms might be addressed because they help grow vocabulary, help children understand basic concepts, and enhance overall understanding of language. It is encouraged for parents to help children try to find opposites.
In popular culture
Opposite Day features occasionally in children's media.
In a
Calvin and Hobbes
''Calvin and Hobbes'' is a daily American comic strip created by cartoonist Bill Watterson that was syndicated from November 18, 1985, to December 31, 1995. Commonly cited as "the last great newspaper comic", ''Calvin and Hobbes'' has enjoyed ...
strip, Calvin asks Hobbes if a bee has landed on him. Hobbes says no, and Calvin is then stung by the bee. Hobbes justifies himself by saying "I meant "no, there is a bee". Today is Opposite Day!"
In a
Pearls Before Swine
A pearl is a hard, glistening object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle (mollusc), mantle) of a living animal shell, shelled mollusk or another animal, such as fossil conulariids. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pea ...
comic strip, Pig declares it to be Opposite Day. The (normally good-natured) character Pig then violently punches Rat out of the strip and says "things are different on 'Opposite Day.'"
A
season 1 episode of
SpongeBob SquarePants
''SpongeBob SquarePants'' (or simply ''SpongeBob'') is an American animated comedy television series created by marine science educator and animator Stephen Hillenburg for Nickelodeon. It chronicles the adventures of the title character a ...
centers around the
titular character's celebration of the holiday by dressing as and acting like his neighbor
Squidward Tentacles
Squidward Q. Tentacles is a fictional character voiced by actor Rodger Bumpass in the Nickelodeon animated television series ''SpongeBob SquarePants''. Squidward was created and designed by marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg. He f ...
.
It inspired
the 2009 film of the same name, imagining a world where children are in charge of adults.
In
The Whitest Kids U' Know
''The Whitest Kids U' Know'' (''WKUK'') is an American sketch comedy show starring a comedy troupe of the same name. The group consisted of Trevor Moore, Zach Cregger, Sam Brown, Timmy Williams and Darren Trumeter, though other actors occasiona ...
sketch Opposite Day Lawyer, a defense lawyer with a guilty client tells the jury “in five seconds, it will officially be Opposite Day” so they will vote “not guilty.” The judge and prosecution both protest that “it’s not Opposite Day,” but their statements are taken in the opposite meaning, accidentally affirming that it is in fact Opposite Day
See also
*
Bizarro World
The Bizarro World (also known as Htrae, which is "Earth" spelled backwards) is a fictional planet appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Introduced in the early 1960s, Htrae is a cube-shaped planet, home to Bizarro and companio ...
*
Freaky Friday
''Freaky Friday'' is a comedic children's novel written by Mary Rodgers, first published by Harper & Row in 1972. It has been adapted for several films, including versions in 1976, 1995, 2003, and 2018, and was reinterpreted as a horror film f ...
*
Childlore
Childlore is the folklore or folk culture of children and young people. It includes, for example, rhymes and games played in the school playground. The best known researchers of the field were Iona and Peter Opie.
Overview
The subject matter o ...
References
{{Reflist
Unofficial observances
Play (activity)