Humor Month is Here: Let's Get Laughing
A preview of what's in store for 30 Days of Humor
I don’t remember the exact moment I learned April was “National Humor Month.” It was sometime 7 or 8 years ago, and my initial reaction was, “Huh, that’s interesting…” and then I went about my business.
Fast forward to March 2020. I’m sitting in my 450-square-foot NYC apartment (shoebox chic) with Pretzel (my wife), watching the world shut down, as every live event I had got canceled, postponed, or turned into a Zoom square.
After we had exhausted our Netflix queue, decided against learning how to bake bread, and spent too many nights learning the words to the Hamilton soundtrack… I started getting antsy.
Not just because I was trying to avoid a stir-crazy spiral, but because I felt like I needed to do something to help people manage the uncertainty and fear swirling around us.
Now, I’m not a scientist (despite a computer science degree) and I’m not a doctor (even though I do have DR in my name). But I am a humorist. And I started wondering: How can I use humor to help?
That’s when I remembered: April is Humor Month.
So I launched “30 Days of Humor”—a daily series of virtual events, blog posts, challenges, and videos designed to spread some much-needed levity. It was last-minute, chaotic, far from perfect… and also incredibly meaningful.
Since then, we at Humor That Works have celebrated every April with something new: daily challenges, Humor Awards, virtual gatherings, and an avalanche of social media posts with more puns than you'd think legally allowed.
The History (and Future) of Humor Month
What I didn’t know until recently was that Humor Month has an actual origin story (it wasn’t just a April Fools’ prank gone viral or an April 15th tax-day breakdown).
It was started by Larry Wilde and carried forward by Steve Wilson, whose vision helped shape it into a global tradition of laughter and learning.
And this year, Steve officially passed the baton to AATH—the Association for Applied & Therapeutic Humor, a group I’ve been proud to be part of since 2012.
So… short story shorter: guess who’s the new Director of International Humor Month? 👋 This guy.
Introducing International Humor Month:
30 Days to Laugh, Learn, and Lead with Humor
This April, we’re inviting the world to laugh with purpose. International Humor Month (April 1–30) is a 30-day celebration of the transformative power of humor.
Our goals are simple (and slightly ambitious):
Spread awareness about humor’s ability to connect, heal, and inspire.
Spotlight the humorists, professionals, and everyday people making the world funnier.
Help everyone (yes, that means you) build their skill of humor—one laugh at a time.
Here’s a peek at what you can expect:
🎭 Skill-building workshops on improv, comedic writing, and delivery.
😂 Daily Humor Challenges to inject joy into your day.
🌍 Spotlights on humorists in education, healthcare, business, and beyond.
🎙️ Exclusive interviews via the LaughBox podcast.
🏆 The 5th Annual Humor Awards—recognizing people who lead with laughter.
You can head to www.humormonth.com to see the full calendar and sign up for daily humor nudges.
Want to stay on top of everything we’re doing for the month? You can sign up for daily notifications and humor challenges here:
Join the 30 Days of Humor newsletter
As I mentioned last week, humor is one of the best tools we have for navigating uncertainty. So if you’re feeling stressed, stuck, or just want to add some play to your day, I hope you’ll join us.
(an)drew
PS: We’re kicking things off with a live “announcement show” on Tuesday, April 1. Yes, it’s April Fool’s Day. No, this isn’t a prank. Click here to RSVP.
Hello! Thanks a lot for this amazing program - I am looking forward for celebrate the Humor month :)
Just wanted to check if there will be a recording available for this later, as I unfortunately cannot attend the event live! Excited to follow up on the program and learn more!!