Telling a good joke is almost as fun as hearing one. It instantly perks you up and makes everyone around you feel good. That’s probably why National Tell A Joke Day is becoming increasingly popular with each passing year. This holiday, celebrated on August 16th every year, gives everyone a chance to play the part of a stand-up comedian and entertain their friends and families.

The History Of National Tell A Joke Day

Unfortunately, the origin of National Tell A Joke Day has been lost to history, which isn’t surprising considering that humans don’t know the origin of jokes. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the joke was invented by Palamedes—a Greek hero who outwitted Odysseus on the eve of the Trojan War.

The evidence presented for that claim is pretty thin. All we can say on the subject is that joking is probably as old as language itself.

Some Entertaining Facts About Jokes

Although we couldn’t dazzle our readers with a detailed explanation of how this holiday began or even how the whole concept of telling jokes started, we can tell everyone about some of the entertaining facts that we know about jokes and joke-telling. So without wasting any more valuable time, below are some fun facts everyone can appreciate.

The Oldest Joke Book Still Around Is Over 1,600 Years Old

The first thing we’d like to discuss is the oldest existing joke book in the world, and that’s a book that was written by Philogelos and Hierocles in the 4th century.

Although the material in this book is a bit dated, it does follow some of the major formats of modern jokes told today. And yes, this is an existing joke book, but it’s not the oldest. The oldest joke book was created around the 4th century BC.

The Oldest Joke Book Not Around Is Over 2,400 Years Old

The oldest book on jokes that was ever created, but no longer exists, was commissioned by Philip II of Macedon. For those readers of ours who aren’t all that familiar with King Philip II of Macedon, he was Alexander the Great’s father. And according to legend, he spent a lot of money to have a book of jokes made for him.

How To Celebrate National Tell A Joke Day

The best way to celebrate National Tell A Joke Day is by sharing the jokes that you know with friends and family. If you don’t know many jokes, or at least, don’t know jokes that everyone hasn’t already heard, then you might want to look online for jokes.

Or, you can always visit your local library and pick up a book of jokes. Either way, share your favorite jokes on social media using the hashtag #NationalTellAJokeDay so everyone can join in the fun.