National Yo-yo Day

Every year on June 6th, we recognize the fun holiday, National Yo-Yo Day to celebrate the iconic stringed toy that generations have enjoyed.

If it seems like yo-yos have been around forever, it's because they have; we are talking more than 2,000 years! Some believe it all started in ancient Greece, but modern yo-yos may have come from the Philippines. In fact, the word “yo-yo” first appeared in Filipino dictionaries in 1860. But they did not become common across the states until the 1930s. Pedro Flores (of Filipino descent) started mass production of yo-yos in 1928. After holding several advertising contests, he caught the eye of Donald F. Duncan Sr, who thought these yo-yos were amazing! Duncan acquired Flores, hired him to run the marketing campaigns, and the rest is National Yo-yo Day history.

Today, the Duncan Toy Company has become synonymous with this iconic toy. However, celebrating National Yo-Yo Day was not Duncan or Flores's idea. No, that honor goes to Daniel Volk - a professional yo-yo whose talent helped popularize the toy. He ended up starring in the “Yo-Yo-Yo Man Tutorial Video” alongside the Smothers Brothers.

As a tribute to his employer, Volk established National Yo-yo Day on what he thinks is Duncan's birthday: June 6th. As it turns out, Duncan's birthday is actually June 8, but hey, it is important thinking. Anyway, National Yo-yo Day has been celebrated on June 6 since 1990, so why stop a good thing? We certainly won't. So channel your inner child and start celebrating!

History of National Yo-Yo Day

National Yo-yo Day is dedicated to everything yo-yo-related and occurs on June 6, as it is the birthday of Donald F. Duncan, Sr., an entrepreneur who is credited with bringing Yo- yo became famous. Variations of yo-yos have been around since Ancient Greece, where they were made from wood, metal and painted Terra Cotta. The word yo-yo appeared in Filipino dictionaries in the early 1860s, and they were introduced to the United States when Pedro Flores, a Filipino immigrant, began the production at Yo-yo Manufacturing Company in Santa Barbara, California, in 1928. By 1929, Flores had opened other factories in California, and was making 300,000 Yo-yos a day. Soon after, Donald F. Duncan, Sr. acquired Flores and started producing yo-yos. Duncan had exclusive rights to the name "Yo-yo" until 1965, when a federal appeals court ruled that "the trademark became part of the joint speech." Yo-yo is popular all over the world and many countries hold yo-yo competitions. The World Yo-Yo Competition is the most important of these. A typical yo-yo contest consists of two parts, a mandatory part requiring certain tricks and a free part where a contestant can perform a routine of their choice.

How to celebrate National Yo-Yo Day

• Have a yo-yo party!

Think of this as yo-yo pot luck. Of course, everyone can still bring some chow (we recommend it), but it's important to show off a unique yo-yo. This can be vintage, new, or if you're a style buff. Heck, even a yo-yo-inspired dish would do the trick. You'd be surprised at the kinds of cakes and cookies people can come up with.

• Hold a yo-yo contest

If you want a friendly or not so friendly contest, this is the day to do it. Everyone can show off their best tricks and the audience can vote for the winner. If you want to a deal, think about adding some yo-yo related prizes. Yes, these can be toys; however, don't forget about yo-yo-inspired dishes. People love their cake, sometimes even more than love yo-yos (weird, right?).

• Post the celebration of National Yo-Yo Day on social media

A lot happens on National Yo-Yo Day, so you will want to document all the fun. Share photos and videos of top tips, yo-yo designs, and any creative items. If the score is still unresolved before you upload it, social media can be a good way to end the debate. Polls are easy to take, so let your friends and family vote.

Why we love National Yo-Yo Day

• We become children again

Remember the yo-yo craze in the 90s? Even if you want to forget, it's not like you can. Everything is branded as "extreme", making everything incredibly memorable. Combine that with TV commercials flaunting tricks, and you've got the perfect recipe for nostalgia. It's the simple times when doing "dog walk" makes you look cool. Who wouldn't want a little bit of that magic back? Moreover, you can share those magic things with kids in your family. Just don't get mad if they're better than you ("walk-the-dog" is the 90s).

• Great "yo-yo" outdoors

Yo-yos are not really toys in the house. If you're one of those kids who think so, your parents are probably still reeling from the damage. Besides, playing outside gives you and your yo-yo some much needed breathing space. No one likes being locked up on a nice summer day, but the heat can sometimes make you not want to go out there. With renewed motivation to do some new tricks, everyone will have to fight to get you back home.

• It offers a chance to re-write history

For starters, did you know that they used to be called with names like bandalores, Jou-Jous and quizzes? Not only yo-yos were mostly made of wood until 1955 when Duncan collaborated with Flambeau. Even if none of this comes up in the puzzle, you'll have bragging rights as the yo-yo expert on your team.