The Magic of Clowns

June 26, 2025

On May 26th, 2025, Peru celebrated Peruvian Clown Day in honour of Jose Alvarez Velez, better known as Tony Perejil, a beloved clown who passed away on May 25, 1987. Tony Perejil was known as the Clown of the Poor, bringing joy to the shantytowns of Lima and donating his earnings to charity. Exch year, hundreds of clowns from across Peru gather in Lima for a colourful parade, donning extravagant costumes, oversized shoes, and painted faces.

Now, not everyone loves clowns, especially a few of my grandkids. When they were little and came to stay over, I'd hide them away. One summer, my husband took down a large clown that hung from the ceiling on a swing in the room that two of the grandkiddies were sleeping in. Instead of hiding it, he placed it on the deck in a lawn chair. All was well until my grandson ran onto the deck the next morning and froze, unable to move or talk. I put it in a garbage bag and hid it in the toolshed.

 I, on the other hand, love clowns and have a rather large collection,  some of which are displayed here.

                

    This is my favourite, a cut ceramic mask made for me by my DIL, Pam. 

    

   

                The one with the pearl tear drops is my 2nd favourite.

And finally, this display of butterflies, angels, and clowns sits above my writing desk.

So, what do clowns have to do with writing? To me, they represent life with all of our emotions. They inspire me when creating characters in my stories.

Enjoy (or not, lol), I hope your day is as joyful as the 

Clowns' day, who celebrate Peruvian Clown Day!