American Circus Day is an annual American holiday dedicated to the circus. It falls on April 3. It invites you to remember where circus art began in the United States and how it has evolved!
History
Circus art in its modern form appeared in England in the late 18th century. The man who gave impetus to its birth and development was Philip Astley. He opened a riding school in 1793. After lessons from morning until noon, he showed various tricks and small circus performances. One of his students, Bill Ricketts, moved to the United States and held his first outdoor performance in Philadelphia. More than one thousand spectators gathered to watch the spectacular circus stunts, but the arena could seat only 800.
In 1825, D. P. Brown proposed the use of tarpaulin tents. This gave circus performers the opportunity to tour various cities and countries, as they could erect a stage for their performances anywhere. Stationary arenas were no longer needed!
Phineas Barnum contributed greatly to the development of the circus, who, with his partner W.K. Koop, created the museum, menagerie, and circus. Animals began to be used more frequently in circus performances. Gradually D. Bailey and the Ringling brothers joined the team. The American circus became the epitome of the Age of Capitalism and Industrialism. Performances gathered about ten thousand spectators. Today, the circus continues to evolve, inventing new tricks and performances to ensure that audiences are always amazed and energized!
Interesting facts
- The circus arena is standardized all over the world. Its diameter is 13 meters (42 feet). However, the number of seats in the hall may vary.
- Pantomimes and wrestling between wild animals were introduced into circus art by the Italians Farkoni.
- Performances with trained animals actively began to practice only in the late 1900s.
How to celebrate
Get together with family or friends to attend circus performances on this day. Learn more about how circus performers prepare for various stunts that seem dangerous and always cause a storm of emotions in the audience.
Spread the word about the festival on social media. Find out from users, do they like attending circus performances?
When is American Circus Day celebrated in 2024?
American Circus Day is observed on April 3 each year.
Observations
| Wednesday | April | 3 | 2024 |
| Thursday | April | 3 | 2025 |
| Weekday | Month | Day | Year |
