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 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 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 and
antonyms 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 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 b ...
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 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 ...
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 series, animated television series ''SpongeBob SquarePants''. Squidward was created and designed by marine biologist and animator Stephen ...
.
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 occasion ...
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
References
{{Reflist
Unofficial observances
Play (activity)