International Jugglers Day – April 18, 2027

History of International Jugglers Day

The first known representation of juggling was discovered in the Beni-Hassan tombs of the ancient Egyptian civilization’s Middle Dynasty. Inside one of the crypt’s murals, depictions of lady jugglers were found amid acrobats and dancers. The artwork was created around 2000 B.C. After the Beni-Hassan tombs, there is a 1500-year hiatus until evidence of juggling returns in Greek art.

Juggling gradually regained legitimacy when the Middle Ages ended. Pierre Gringoire (1475-1538) was renowned as the “King of Jugglers,” a title that did not seem to be disparaging. In 1528, the Emperor of Hindustan reported a troupe of jugglers performing with wooden rings in his chronicle. In the same year, Christoph Weiditz depicted jugglers among the Aztecs of Mexico. The brothers Mooty and Medua Samme initially debuted in Europe about 1820. These two Indian performers used Chinese devil sticks and oriental ball manipulation. They were so popular that “Far East” acts quickly became the rage.

There was a lot of misunderstanding between American and Asian Indians. Many Europeans contributed to the confusion by claiming to be from China, Japan, or India. Carl Rappo, a German performer who described himself as an Indian and did exotic maneuvers and feats of strength with iron balls, was one such artist. The Burmese Moung-Toon, who worked only with his feet and got “excellent praise across Europe,” was one of the real Asian entertainers. In 1870, the first authentic Japanese troupe arrived in the West, led by juggler Awata Katsnoshin, who practiced traditional Japanese ball and stick play, from which contemporary ball manipulation originated. The International Jugglers’ Association (IJA) founded International Jugglers Day in the mid-1980s.