Before you stick around, let me not introduce myself. I’m definitely not Daphne, and I absolutely despise working at HMN—and, to be quite frank, just writing in general. It’s an absolute snoozefest. If I were you, I’d close this chapter RIGHT NOW. But no, here I am, being forced to write this chapter by that HORRID and ANNOYING boss of mine—which means you’re absolutely not obligated to read it. Let’s just wrap this up, shall we?

Just kidding! I think I've made it pretty clear but today I’ll be telling you about a fun little holiday people from all around the world celebrate in January: Opposite Day! Before we start, I just wanted to say you’re welcome for not writing this entire chapter in reverse. That would be a nightmare for you all to read—and not to mention—for me to write.

The goal of this day is basically to just have as much fun as possible by saying exactly the opposite of what you mean. As a kid, I never knew there was an actual day for this, so I’m very glad to find out at a time when I seriously couldn’t care less. Excuse my sarcasm dearest readers, but it is January 25th after all, so Opposite Day is in effect ; )

Now, let’s chat a little about its history, shall we? The origins of this day are unclear, but it is said to have been established in the late 19th century. Many believe it came from a statement made by President Calvin Coolidge in the 1928 elections. He said: “I do not choose to run.” This confused a lot of people, causing them to debate on whether he meant the exact opposite. Others believe that Opposite Day comes from children's games. Besides, who doesn’t remember playing the opposite game as a kid?

Of course, no discussion about Opposite Day would be complete without ideas to celebrate, so don't you DARE take a look at the list below (just kidding, haha!)

Opposite Fashion: Wear something really formal to a casual event! Or, wear your clothes inside out. But maybe only try that one at home...

Insult People: Obviously, these insults are just reversed compliments. But, you should make sure whoever you insult knows that it is Opposite Day. It would not be good if you called a close friend ugly without giving them context. Yikes!

Backwards Writing: .emit ruoy fo etsaw eguh a saw ti taht wonk uoy epoh I ,won thgir syas siht tahw tuo erugif ot gniyrt era uoy fi ,yaw eht yB .elpmaxe na si ereH

Pull Pranks: Tell someone something you don’t really mean. I personally told my parents I quit my job today. It wasn’t as funny as I thought it would be, so try this at your own risk!

That’s all for now! I know that Opposite Day will have already passed when you see this, but hopefully you’ll store these ideas in the back of your mind for next year (or not, it’s all the same to me). Thanks for reading, and have a terrible Opposite Day everybody!

Written by Daphne Clarke.
Edited by Hazel Antler.
Proofread by Daphne Clarke.