OK Day 2023: Date, History, Facts, Activities

OK Day is an annual global event celebrated on March 23. It gives the humble “OK” (or however you spell it) its moment to flourish. The day is dedicated to recognizing the value of this enduring noun/verb/adjective/adverb/interjection, which has transcended language barriers for decades. It is not unusual to hear a French, Korean, or other non-English speaker casually insert “okay” while speaking in their native language. On this day, the world celebrates what is arguably its most frequently used word.

The background of OK Day

We cannot definitively determine when this word originated. A number of historians believe ‘okay’ entered the English language as a result of an editing joke, while others believe it may have originated from a cunning political campaign slogan. There are also doubts that comparable words from languages such as French, Haitian, Spanish, and even Choctaw, a Native American language, inspired this word.

We do know that this term first appeared in print when an enterprising Boston Morning Post editor made a sarcastic jab at his rival. He intentionally misspelled “all correct” as “oll korrect” in order to establish the abbreviation “O.K.” Then, this colloquial term became part of the American vernacular, although it had not yet attained ultra-popularity.

The reason so many people erroneously believe ‘OK’ was the result of a political slogan is because of the current historical moment. Martin Van Buren’s 1840 presidential campaign slogan, “Vote for OK,” gave the world a brighter stage on which to flourish. ‘OK’ was originally Van Buren’s nickname ‘Old Kinderhook,’ which referred to his birthplace of Kinderhook, New York. His opponents in this election, the Whigs, went even further, claiming that Van Buren’s mentor, Andrew Jackson, used ‘OK’ instead of ‘all correct’ because he was illiterate. Additionally, they claimed he signed documents in this manner for the same purpose. These false accusations destroyed Van Buren’s reelection bid, but did marvels for the word’s popularity. During the subsequent decades, documents were signed with “OK” to indicate that they were accurate, and even telegrams contained this vernacular term, despite the fact that many prominent writers opposed its use. However, this word’s ascent was unstoppable, and it eventually achieved global recognition.

Allen Walker Read, an American etymologist, was as enthralled by this word’s origins as the rest of the world, and he investigated each one. He identified the 1839 Boston Morning Post article as the origin of the term “OK.” Between 1963 and 1964, he published a series of articles in which he presented his findings. While people continue to vigorously debate these findings, we can all concur on one thing: OK is here to stay, and we have no problem with that.

OK DAY ACTIVITIES

Check your vocabulary quickly.

If you haven’t previously counted how frequently you use “okay,” now is your opportunity. Take the time to monitor your usage of this word, its context, and the circumstances in which you use it. We believe this is an excellent method to respect the written word and assess your speech patterns simultaneously.

Have a little fun

Even though we use this word frequently, there is no reason we cannot find other ways to express “okay.” There’s the thumbs-up gesture and the inclination of the head; can you think of any others?

Examine each definition of this word.

Check on the welfare of cherished ones. Approve expeditiously enjoyable plans and gatherings with people. Do more than is merely adequate at work. Okay, these are our recommendations; now explore on your own.

OKAY, HERE ARE 5 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT ‘OK’

According to conventional belief, ‘okay’ originated 150 years ago, making it a relative newcomer to the English language.

In order to support Van Buren’s political campaigns, his supporters established O.K. Clubs in New York and across the nation.

The 1840 presidential election also gave us a hand gesture we associate with ‘okay’: touching the index finger to the thumb and elevating the other fingers in the air to form a rough circle.

Okay appears to have inspired a number of vernacular terms, including ‘oki doki,’ which was first popularized in the 1994 film “The Little Rascals.”

The whimsical way to ask if everything was ‘all right’, ‘OW,’ was undoubtedly more popular than ‘OK,’ but for some reason, ‘OK’ has survived while ‘OW’ has fallen into obscurity.

OK DAY DATES