January 7

National Pass Gas Day

An annual informal observance on January 7 that acknowledges flatulence as a normal biological function and uses humor to encourage open discussion of digestive health.

Yearly Date

January 7

Observed in

United States

Introduction

National Pass Gas Day takes a subject most people avoid and treats it as what it actually is: one of the most universal and unavoidable human experiences. Medical research puts the average at 13 to 21 gas-release events per day, though a 2022 study using wearable sensors suggested the real number may be closer to 32.

The holiday's tone is comedic, but the underlying biology is not. Intestinal gas is a direct byproduct of bacterial fermentation in the colon, and its presence signals that the digestive system is functioning. Suppressing the topic has not stopped the process. Humans have been making jokes about it since at least 1900 BC.

National Pass Gas Day History

Flatulence has occupied a persistent, if underappreciated, place in recorded human culture. The earliest documented reference is a Sumerian proverb from approximately 1900 BC, preserved on clay tablets from the Old Babylonian period. British historians at the University of Wolverhampton confirmed it in 2008 as the world's oldest known joke.

Ancient Greek and Roman writers treated the subject with creative enthusiasm. Aristophanes built fart jokes into multiple comedic plays in the 5th and 4th centuries BC, while Roman satirists used flatulence as a tool for class commentary. In medieval Europe, the taboo shifted unevenly: doctors sometimes interpreted regular flatulence as a sign of a balanced body, while the Catholic Church generally discouraged open discussion.

Literary flatulence and the Enlightenment

European literature returned to the subject repeatedly. Dante's Inferno describes a demon who "made a trumpet of his ass," and Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales includes one of the most famous fart jokes in the English literary canon. In 1722, Jonathan Swift published The Benefit of Farting, using the subject as a vehicle for political satire during the British Enlightenment.

From the Moulin Rouge to modern science

The late 19th century produced the most famous professional flatulist in history. Joseph Pujol, performing as Le Pétomane, debuted at the Moulin Rouge in Paris in 1892 and quickly became the venue's highest-paid entertainer, reportedly earning 20,000 francs per week. His act included musical performances, candle-extinguishing, and sound imitations—all odorless, as he used controlled air intake rather than intestinal gas. He retired during World War I and returned to baking in Marseille.

National Pass Gas Day Timeline

1900 BC

Oldest known joke recorded

A Sumerian proverb from approximately 1900 BC became the world's oldest documented joke: 'Something which has never occurred since time immemorial; a young woman did not fart in her husband's lap.'

400 BC

Aristophanes stages fart comedy

The ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes included flatulence jokes in multiple plays, making him one of the earliest known writers to use bodily humor for social commentary.

1722

Swift publishes flatulence satire

Jonathan Swift published The Benefit of Farting, a satirical treatise that used flatulence as a vehicle for political commentary in 18th-century England.

1892

Le Pétomane debuts at Moulin Rouge

Joseph Pujol, performing under the stage name Le Pétomane, became the highest-paid entertainer at the Moulin Rouge in Paris by controlling his sphincter muscles to produce musical sounds.

2008

Researchers confirm oldest joke

British historians at the University of Wolverhampton formally identified the 1900 BC Sumerian fart proverb as the world's oldest recorded joke.

2013

Finland hosts World Fart Championship

The inaugural World Fart Championship was held in Utajärvi, Finland, measuring loudness by decibel meter. Two Russian competitors won both the individual and team events.

How to Celebrate National Pass Gas Day

1

Learn what your gut is actually doing

Read up on intestinal gas through a trusted medical source. Understanding why your body produces gas and what excessive amounts might indicate about your diet or digestion turns a taboo topic into useful health knowledge.
2

Track trigger foods for a day

Use the holiday as a starting point. Write down everything you eat on January 7 and note any gas patterns. Common triggers include beans, cruciferous vegetables, dairy, and carbonated drinks. One day of honest tracking reveals more than years of ignoring the topic.
3

Read about Le Pétomane

Look up the story of Joseph Pujol on Wikipedia and discover how a baker from Marseille became the highest-paid entertainer in Paris by turning flatulence into a legitimate performance art.
4

Share the oldest joke in the world

Tell someone the 1900 BC Sumerian fart joke. It works as both a conversation starter and a demonstration that toilet humor has been a constant across every recorded civilization.
5

Try a gut-friendly recipe

Cook a meal using ingredients known to support digestion, such as ginger, fennel, or fermented foods like kimchi. Foods rich in probiotics and prebiotic fiber feed beneficial gut bacteria, which can improve digestion and reduce uncomfortable gas.

Why We Love National Pass Gas Day

A

It addresses a measurable health indicator

Flatulence frequency and composition are clinically relevant. Gastroenterologists use gas patterns to evaluate conditions including irritable bowel syndrome, lactose intolerance, and celiac disease. The holiday provides an entry point for conversations about digestive health that people otherwise avoid.
B

It corrects a common misconception

Over 99% of intestinal gas is odorless, consisting of oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and methane. The smell comes from less than 1% of the volume—primarily hydrogen sulfide. Understanding this shifts the social framing from disgust to basic chemistry.
C

It connects to a 4,000-year cultural lineage

From Sumerian clay tablets to Aristophanes to the Moulin Rouge, flatulence humor has appeared in every major literary tradition. National Pass Gas Day is part of a documented cultural pattern, not a modern invention—the topic has never stopped being both taboo and funny.