Tell An Old Joke Day – Jul. 24, 2026

Expected Tell An Old Joke Day Deals

While specific promotions for Tell An Old Joke Day are rare, history suggests that comedy clubs, improv theaters, and even some local pubs might run special ‘open mic’ or ‘joke-telling’ nights. Look for local venues offering discounts on tickets or special themed drinks. Brands like Netflix or Hulu might highlight classic stand-up specials, while bookstores like Barnes & Noble could feature joke books. Even fast-food chains like McDonald’s or Burger King sometimes tie into general ‘fun’ days with small, unexpected deals. We will update this page with confirmed live deals as July 24 approaches.

History of Tell An Old Joke Day

Some people say the joke was invented in Greece. Others even believe it originated in mythological legend by a person called Palamedes. Since he was also credited with inventing numbers, the alphabet, lighthouses, dice, and the practice of eating meals at regular intervals, we won’t hesitate to adopt this particular theory as the truth. Facts verify that the Greeks, were, in fact, a humorous lot. In the Athens of Demosthenes, there existed a comedians’ club called the Group of Sixty. They met in the Temple of Heracles and traded wisecracks. Apparently, Alexander the Great’s father, Philip II of Macedon, commissioned a book of their jokes. The very first joke book ever found was also from Greece. Titled “Philogelos,” or “Laughter-Lover,” it contains 264 jokes, several of which appear twice, in slightly different forms. Historians suggest this means the book is actually two jokebooks combined, given that it is attributed to two authors, Hierocles and Philagrius. The jokes in this book are famously spare and include gems like, “How shall I cut your hair?” a talkative barber asked a wag. “In silence!” the wag answered.

The Ancient Romans, too, had their ‘jestbooks.’ The playwright Titus Maccius Plautus often referenced these in his plays, while the Roman historian Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus mentions a professor of the emperor Augustus, who compiled more than 150 jokes anthologies.

“Philogelos” was misplaced during the Dark Ages and humor was kept alive only in the Arab world. As they spread around the world, so too did their satirical folktales and humor. As these folktales reached Europe, they split into two: one, the novel; the other, a shorter, more humorous anecdote.

The early Renaissance brought the joke back with the help of one man — Poggio Bracciolini. Secretary to eight popes, this Italian humanist was a passionate bibliophile, traveling throughout Europe in search of lost works. This influenced his satirical writing, which was compiled in a book called “Facetiae.” Filled with 273 jests, bons mots, puns, and humorous anecdotes, this book was heavily influenced by another club called the Bugiale, which functioned as a jokes club of sorts. Unfortunately, copies of “Facetiae” are hard to come by nowadays.

The first English jestbook even had a sample of Poggio’s jokes and, by the time Shakespeare came around, jestbooks were very popular. One more nudge was all the world needed to turn funny tales into a joke. It came in the form of 28 jokes from “Philogelos” being accidentally published in an edition of “Commentary on the Golden Words of Pythagoras.” This mistake meant the jokes were soon circulated throughout Europe. Thanks to their popularity, jokes became shorter and punchier.

The Georgian era brought gems like “Joe Miller’s Jests” — based on a notoriously gloomy London stage actor. Soon, by the 19th century, joke books began to be cleaned up and ribald language was removed. They became fillers in older forms of printed books and provided a source of enjoyment for anyone who read them.

How Businesses Can Celebrate Tell An Old Joke Day