Fun Holiday – Smoke and Mirrors Day

Smoke and mirrors is an English language phrase that is used to describe things and actions that are deceptive, manipulative, or lack complete explanation.

Act of Illusion

Usually associated with illusionists and magicians, it is thought that the phrase originated from the classic act of illusion where a magician makes objects or people appear or disappear by using smokes and mirrors as a distraction. Because of this, the phrase is often used to refer to actions that distract from the reality or cover up the truth.

Things That Do Not Exist

In computing, the term smoke and mirrors is often used to refer to programs that seem to exist, but in reality do not.

Mirror Magic

Magic as a performance art has been used to entertain people around the world since ancient times. In smoke and mirror magic tricks, magicians create optical illusions by diverting a spectator's attention away from the actions that create the "magic". Mirrors are also often used to create illusions by manipulating light and using the properties of reflection and refraction. Some of the popular magic tricks using mirrors include the Sphinx and the Vampire. In both tricks, mirrors are used to hide the object, usually the head of a person.

How to Celebrate?

• Learn some magic tricks and entertain your friends and colleagues. Preferably try to use smoke and mirrors in your tricks.
• Spend some time learning about how to achieve illusions using mirrors.

Did You Know...

...that the earliest mirrors used by humans were bodies of dark, still water?