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National Let’s Laugh Day

Laughter boosts mood, relieves stress, and strengthens relationships. So, don't forget to laugh often and spread joy wherever you go!

Attitudes & Emotions Life & Living Silly & Humorous45

Marketing angleinferred

Leverage humor and wellness messaging to drive engagement and product tie-ins around stress relief, entertainment, and health benefits of laughter.

Relevance 45medium intent

Share your funniest dad jokes and tag us for a chance to win comedy tickets or candy
Laughter yoga challenge: post your best belly-laugh moment for stress relief inspiration
Comedy night promotion: celebrate with stand-up tickets or streaming service bundles
Wellness angle: how laughter boosts immunity and mental health—partner with fitness/yoga brands

History

Laughter has a history that probably dates back as far as humankind. In fact, the world’s oldest written joke may come from as far back as 4000 years ago.

Because it is a reaction that brings about the release of hormones that keep people happy and healthy, laughter is not only mentally good for the human condition, but it is also healthy for the physical body.

In 2019, the candy company, Laffy Taffy, acted as a sponsor of National Let’s Laugh Day. The beloved candy company has been doling out jokes on its candy wrappers for around 50 years.

That year, the folks at Laffy Taffy took a survey of at least 1500 Americans where they aimed to learn all about laughter. Through the survey, Laffy Taffy discovered that 98% of the Americans surveyed enjoyed making other people laugh.

National Let’s Laugh Day gives everyone a special opportunity to not only be joyful themselves, but to spread joy to many other people in the world.

Tell a joke, share some comic relief through a meme online, or watch a hilarious comedy show or movie. Whatever way people choose to celebrate, there is tons of fun to be had for National Let’s Laugh Day!

How to celebrate

Share in Laughter

National Let’s Laugh Day is a great day to wake up in a good mood and consider how that might be shared with other people. Search online for some silly, one-liner ‘Dad jokes’ that can be shared at work or with the family. Watch a laugh-out-loud comedy movie or show with friends. Or book tickets to attend a live performance of a stand-up comic.

Learn Laughter Benefits

National Let’s Laugh Day is a great time to be reminded that humor is healthy! Remember that laughter can bring stress relief, stimulate the organs, soothe tension, improve the immune system, relieve pain, improve mental health and so much more.

Practice Laughter Yoga

One great way to celebrate the day is by joining a group of people who are practicing laughter yoga. Even forced laughter can be really good for people so this type of practice combines the stretching and poses of yoga with the delight of deep belly laughter. Join in on a Laughter Yoga class in celebration of National Let’s Laugh Day!

FAQ

Is there scientific evidence that laughter is good for health?

Research suggests that laughter can have measurable benefits, though many studies are small and short term. Laboratory and clinical studies have found that laughter is associated with short term drops in stress hormones, improved blood vessel function, and reduced measures of stress or pain in some participants. However, major medical organizations caution that laughter should be seen as a complement to, not a replacement for, standard medical care, and that more rigorous long term research is still needed.

How does laughter affect the brain and nervous system?

When a person laughs, multiple regions of the brain are activated, including areas involved in emotion, movement, and cognition. Laughter can trigger the release of neurotransmitters such as endorphins, which are linked to feelings of pleasure and pain relief, and it can reduce the body’s stress response by lowering levels of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. These changes help explain why people often feel more relaxed and socially connected after a good laugh.

Is “forced” laughter, like in laughter yoga, actually beneficial?

Studies on laughter yoga and simulated laughter suggest that even when laughter starts as deliberate rather than spontaneous, it can still lead to physiological and psychological benefits. Group sessions that combine breathing exercises, eye contact, and intentional laughing have been linked in small trials to reduced perceived stress, improved mood, and modest improvements in measures like blood pressure and quality of life. Researchers note that many of these studies are limited in size and design, so findings should be viewed as encouraging but preliminary.

Why do people tend to laugh more in groups than when they are alone?

Laughter is strongly social and often functions as a form of nonverbal communication. Observational studies have found that people are many times more likely to laugh in the presence of others than when by themselves, even when nothing obviously “funny” is happening. In groups, laughter helps signal friendliness, reduce social tension, and reinforce bonds, so humans often laugh to show alignment and affiliation with those around them as much as to respond to jokes.

Do all cultures find the same things funny?

While the basic capacity to laugh appears to be universal, what people laugh at varies across cultures and contexts. Comparative research shows that humor often reflects local history, social norms, and language, so jokes that rely on wordplay, taboos, or stereotypes in one culture may not translate, or may even offend, in another. At the same time, many cultures share broad categories of humor such as teasing among friends, physical comedy, or making light of everyday frustrations, suggesting both diversity and common ground in how people use humor.

Can laughter really reduce pain?

Laughter is not a pain cure, but controlled studies indicate it can increase pain tolerance for short periods. When people watch or experience something they perceive as genuinely funny, their bodies may release endorphins and they may become more relaxed, which can change how intensely they perceive discomfort. Experiments using mildly painful stimuli have found that participants exposed to comedy sometimes tolerate the discomfort longer than control groups, although the effect is modest and temporary.

How does humor help people cope with stress or difficult situations?

Psychologists distinguish between different styles of humor, and some are more helpful than others in coping with stress. “Affiliative” and “self enhancing” humor, which involve sharing lighthearted perspectives or finding comic relief without putting others down, have been linked to better psychological well being and resilience. These styles can help people reframe problems, build support, and feel less overwhelmed. In contrast, humor that is hostile or harshly self critical is associated with poorer mental health in many studies.