25 July is National Merry-Go-Round Day, a day associated with carnival music and children’s laughter.
The merry-go-round, also known as a carousel, is an amusement park ride consisting of a circular rotating platform with wooden horses or other animals, mounted to a pole. The horses have a seat for their riders to sit on and many of the animals are made to move up and down to simulate galloping. This is usually accompanied by circus music. The names of the animals range from Galloper, Jumper, Roundabout, Horseabout to Flying horses.
Any platform that rotates may be called a merry-go-round, and on a playground, it is usually a child-powered rotating platform with bars or handles to which the children can cling while spinning around.
Some fun facts on merry-go-rounds, include:
• The earliest known depiction of the merry-go-round was in 500 AD in the Byzantine Empire – depicting baskets suspended from a central pole carrying riders
• In the 1840s Franz Wiesenoffer created the first merry-go-round in the United States in Hessville, Ohio
• The first carousel patent was awarded on 25 July 1871
The president of the National Carousel Association, Bette Largent and carousel histrorian, Ronald Hopkins, founded National Merry-Go-Round-Day in 2014. Their aim with this day was to shine a spotlight on these beautiful and historical creations that still bring joy to people of all ages. The date commemorates the first US patent for the modern carousel, issued in 1871 to William Schneider of Davenport, Iowa.
Celebrate today by finding a merry-go-round and having fun. You are never to old to enjoy this ride!
Use #NationalMerryGoRoundDay to post on social media.
Do you perhaps have more information pertaining to this story? Email us at roodepoortrecord@caxton.co.za (remember to include your contact details) or phone us on 011 955 1130.
For free daily local news on the West Rand, also visit our sister newspaper websites
Remember to visit our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages to let your voice be heard!
