World Juggling Day Date in the current year: June 15, 2024

Juggling is a physical skill that involves object manipulation used as a performing art, a form of entertainment, a sport or physical exercise, a recreational pursuit, or a hobby. The most recognizable form of juggling is probably toss juggling, where a juggler tosses objects in the air and catches them. However, there are other forms of juggling such as contact juggling, club swinging, and several forms of two-person juggling.

Juggling has existed in various cultures for millennia. There is evidence of it having existed in ancient Egypt, China, Greece and Rome. The art of juggling is mentioned in medieval European folklore and in the memoir of Babur, the founder of the Mughal Empire. Jugglers performed alongside clowns, equestrians, tightrope walkers and acrobats at the first modern circus opened by Philip Astley in 1768.

The International Jugglers’ Association (IJA) was founded in the United States on June 17, 1947 by twenty jugglers who attended the International Brotherhood of Magicians convention that took place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The main goal of the association was to unite vaudeville jugglers from all over the world. Its membership was originally restricted to professional jugglers, but eventually non-performers were allowed to join the association and attend its annual conventions.

The IJA’s programs and events include the annual IJA Festival, the IJA Regional Competition, the IJA Juggling Championships, XJuggling (extreme juggling competition), the Youth Juggling Academy, Props 2 U (a program focused on the collection and donation of new and used juggle props to juggling education programs in need), the Video Tutorial Contest, and World Juggling Day.

Originally established as National Juggling Day, the celebration was renamed World Juggling Day in 1995 to reflect the IJA’s international goals and outreach. It is celebrated on the Saturday closest to June 17 to commemorate the IJA’s founding anniversary, to get jugglers from different countries together, to promote juggling as a form of art, a hobby and an exciting pastime, and to teach people how to juggle.

There are plenty of ways to celebrate World Juggling Day. You can attend a juggling event near you or host an event of your own, learn to juggle if you’ve always wanted to but never tried, or pick up new tricks if you already know how to juggle. If you’re hosting a juggling event, don’t forget to register it at the IJA website in advance so that more people can find out about it.

World Juggling Day is also the perfect occasion to show off your juggling skills. As a friend to help you make a juggling video and post in on social media with the hashtag #WorldJugglingDay. If you’re an experienced juggler, you can share some tips and tricks with those who are just starting out by hosting a juggling workshop or filming and posting a juggling tutorial.