Fun Holiday – Stick Out Your Tongue Day

It is unclear whether the anonymous inventor of this made-up holiday intended it to be a day for people to stick out their tongues at everyone they come across or for them to visit their doctors to get a general check-up.

It is also possible that the creator of this unofficial holiday created it to encourage people to defy odds and attempt things that they find difficult to do.

Many cultures consider sticking out the tongue at someone as a childish, rude, and insulting gesture. In these cultures, when children stick out their tongue at adults, it is seen as an act of disobedience. In Tibet, however, sticking out one's tongue is considered to be a polite form of greeting.

Perfectly Fine at the Doctor's Office

There is one place where sticking out one's tongue is not only considered ok, but can be sometimes essential - in a doctor's office. The tongue, which is a muscle that helps humans in eating food and speaking, is also one of the many organs in the human body that doctors check to detect signs of illness.

Today, sticking out one's tongue over the Internet or through text (or SMS) is done through emoticons, and seen as a way to express a point that should not be taken very seriously. The emoticon is written by typing a colon, followed by a dash, and a capital (:-P).

How to Celebrate?

• Stick out your tongue at people. Just let them know why you are doing it, lest they think of you as a terribly rude person.
• If there are things that are bothering you, take this day to stick your tongue out at them.
• If you are overdue for a general check-up, perhaps today is the day to visit the doctor and get a clean bill of health.

Did You Know...

...that the human tongue can have anywhere from 2,000 to 8,000 taste buds?