Spirit of Bonhomie - Day Nine

Weary Willie Day

Weary Willie Day, celebrated on December 9 every year in the U.S., recognises the art of clowning with a twist.

Weary Willie, as the name suggests, is a clown who wears his smile upside down. The day pays tribute to the character popularized by circus performer Emmett Kelly during the Great Depression of the 1930s.

History of Weary Willie Day:

• Emmett Kelly, born in 1898, began his career as a trapeze artist and cartoonist. Initially, he performed as the traditional white-faced, happy-go-lucky clown.

• However, in the 1920s, Kelly conceived the idea of creating a contrasting, sad clown. Unfortunately, management was initially hesitant to embrace this unconventional concept.

• The Great Depression, which began in the U.S. in 1929, led to an increase in the number of migrant workers (often called hobos) traveling to earn a living.

• Inspired by these changed circumstances, management finally gave the go-ahead, and Weary Willie was born.

• Unlike other clowns, Weary Willie was not completely made up in white paint. He didn’t wear brightly colored clothing either. Instead, he looked like an out-of-work tramp with an upside-down smile plastered on his painted mouth.

• People found comfort in Weary Willie’s appearance—it made them feel better about themselves and uplifted their mood during challenging times.

So today’s tasks are

Dress Up as a Clown:

Kick up the celebrations a notch by getting creative with a Weary Willie costume.

Take a Tragicomic Selfie:

Put a twist on your best pout as a tribute to Weary Willie. Pose like it hurts!

Make a list of all the small stuff:

Put everything that gets you down on a daily basis down on paper, prioritise the small stuff that simply does not matter but is masking the real issues. Then burn it, let go and realise that on your dying day much of it will not matter at all.

Remember, Weary Willie’s legacy reminds us to take life’s troubles with a pinch of salt. 🤡🌟

"Weary Willie' is very real to me. He is a man who has given up. The boat has gone and left him. The cards are stacked against him. He's content to make out with what he's got. He knows he'll go no further"