National Opposite Day

January 25 is the most widely known date to celebrate National Opposite Day. It is a day to deepen your understanding of opposites and bring out your inner jokester.

We recommend marking this one on your calendar before things turn backward on you! Although there may be ups and downs, we think you’ll find the day to be the opposite of terrible.

When is National Opposite Day?

National Opposite Day is celebrated on January 25 of each year.

How do we celebrate National Opposite Day?

This is a perfect day to be silly and find the humor in all things that are opposite! Whether you do things in the opposite way from how you usually act or say things that are the opposite of what you mean, there are many lefts or rights you can take.

Here are some fun ideas:

Set your alarm to play Katy Perry’s song “Hot N Cold,” which is filled with opposites.
Switch your meals around! Eat dinner for breakfast and breakfast for dinner.
Wear your clothes inside out or backward.
Say goodbye when you mean hello and hello when you mean goodbye. Cue the Beatles song “I don’t know why you say goodbye, I say hello!”
Let your family, friends, and colleagues know that you are celebrating Opposite Day by stating “It’s Opposite Day” loudly. Then, use this trick question: “Is it Opposite Day?” If answered yes, is the answer really no? If answered no, is it really Opposite Day?
Kindly insult somebody. Make sure they know it’s Opposite Day and see how they react.
Watch the Spongebob Squarepants episode that is all about Opposite Day.
Create a scavenger hunt that kids need to follow the opposite of what the instructions say.
Read a children’s book about opposites such as the one by Frank Lloyd Wright entitled “Opposites.”
Watch the movie “Opposite Day,” where children and adults change places.

Fun facts about opposites

The Chinese symbol of Yin and Yang is the representation that two opposites, such as dark and light, are actually complementary and interdependent in the world. It is a concept of dualism.
There are many words that can be their own opposite. Here are some fun examples:
Oversight can mean both “oversee” and “overlook.”
Left can either mean “remaining” or “departed.”
Seed can mean “adding seeds” such as in seed the lawn, or “removing seeds” as in seeding a fruit.
Out means either “visible” or “invisible.” For example, the lightning bugs are out when the lights go out.
According to the Greek philosopher Anaximander, there is a continual war of opposites. He claimed every element has an opposite and that the material world is composed of opposite elements such as earth and air, fire, and water.

Table of Opposites

There is a Table of Opposites in Pythagorean Philosophy. It is called Aristotle’s Table and includes a set of 10 pairs of opposite qualities.

Those pairs are:

Limited, Unlimited
Odd, Even
Unity, Plurality
Right, Left
Male, Female
At Rest, In Motion
Straight, Curved
Light, Darkness
Good, Evil
Square, Oblong

Instagram Captions for National Opposite Day

Worst day ever!

It’s the only day that people understand my sarcasm.

Hope you have a terrible Opposite Day!

Be careful what you say today, or don’t be careful. It’s National Opposite Day!

Opposites attract!

Trying out my magnets today. Looking for some opposite attraction.

Started my day out on the wrong foot.

Opposite sides of the same coin.

If today is Opposite Day, does that mean today is not Opposite Day?

The people who listen to your advice but do exactly the opposite will have a great Opposite Day!

You’re hot then you’re cold, you’re yes then you’re no.

Why I’m Voting for Opposite Man Video

Jokes about Opposites

What’s the opposite of a hot dog?
A chili dog.

What’s the opposite of Irony?
Wrinkly.

What’s the opposite of a firefly?
A waterfall.

What’s the opposite of a microwave?
A Tsunami.

What’s the opposite of a mermaid?
A landlord.

What is the opposite of Ladiesfingers?
Mentos.

What’s the opposite of isolate?
Yousoearly.

I spent hours trying to figure out what the opposite of night was. In the end, I just had to call it a day.

Two friends sit on opposite sides of a river. One shouts, “Will you help me get to the other side?” The other replies, “You are on the other side.”

FAQs about Opposites

Here are some frequently asked questions about the holidays with answers.

What is the “Opposite Day Paradox”?

The paradox of Opposite Day is when you say it’s Opposite Day on an actual day; then you must mean the opposite, meaning it isn’t Opposite Day. If you said it was a normal day, then it would be a normal day. Can Opposite Day exist?

Is backward considered opposite?

Since backward is the opposite direction than what is normal, yes!

Can I pull pranks on Opposite Day?

Suppose the prank is presented as an opposite, sure! We recommend you let your friends know you’re practicing the rules of Opposite Day, so you don’t accidentally cause any harm. For example, we don’t recommend telling people you are sick without them realizing what day it is.

Opposite Quotes

Opposites are not contradictory but complementary.
Niels Bohr

Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.
Isaac Newton

You couldn’t have strength without weakness; you couldn’t have light without dark, you couldn’t have love without loss.
Jodi Picoult

Embrace contradictions for they make up all of life: You will eternally be looking for yourself and seeking ways to lose yourself.
Kamand Kojouri

It is incorrect to assume that you cannot find any good in the point of view directly opposite yours.
Daniel Willey

Future Dates for the Holiday

To make sure you are prepared for the turn in events, here are the upcoming National Opposite Days in the years ahead.

Year	Date	Day of the Week
2021	January 25	Monday
2022	January 25	Tuesday
2023	January 25	Wednesday
2024	January 25	Thursday

We hope you enjoy celebrating National Opposite Day and hope that you read this from finish to start.

Etcetera

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