What day of the year do we celebrate magicians?
When most people think of magic, they associate magicians with Halloween and October 31st. That might be because of the mystery surrounding that holiday, but also out of respect for the great Harry Houdini, who died on that date in 1926.
But actually, we magicians celebrate a different day every year. Our special day on the calendar is January 31st – known as International Magician’s Day.
How, you might ask, did January 31st become a celebration of magicians?
January 31st is celebrated in honor of John Melchior Bosco, a Catholic priest known as Don Bosco. He was born in Italy on August 16th, 1815, and died on January 31st, 1888.
As a priest and follower of the spiritual philosophy of Francis de Sales, Don Bosco was devoted to education, especially to giving opportunities to street children, juvenile delinquents, and other disadvantaged youth.
Don Bosco learned many skills as an entertainer and saw in magic a powerful tool to present and introduce the power of education to the community.
Don Bosco found in magic tricks a great opportunity to get his audience’s attention. He used magic tricks to entertain kids and teenagers, and with magic he explained the importance of education.
Besides performing magic, Don Bosco learned acting, juggling and other circus acts to amaze the community. Don Bosco found in entertainment a new way to break the ice for kids and to help them explore their potential.
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