National Magic Week

Magic Week History

The Society of American Magicians (S.A.M.) adopted the idea of National Magic Week as a way of promoting the art of magic. This event is held each year during the week of October 25-31 primarily to honor Harry Houdini. He served as Society President for the last nine years of his life, which ended on October 31, 1926. The roots of National Magic Week go back more than 65 years. Before expanding to a weeklong event, there was a one-day affair. It was observed first as "Houdini Day" in 1927, almost one year after Houdini died. In 1938, Houdini Day was changed to National Magic Day and was celebrated on October 31 to match the date of Houdini's death. A few years later, the event was expanded to the present 7-day version.

The S.A.M. members celebrate the event by performing shows at nursing homes, hospitals, and orphanages for those who would have difficulty in getting to a theater to see a live performance. Many people who otherwise would not be able to do so get to enjoy magic shows during this week. The members of the Society who participate in these shows find it a rewarding activity.

National Magic Week--2007 (Update)

For the 2007-2008 period, Assembly 59 once again had a very successful year in encouraging elected officials to proclaim the last week in October as National Magic Week. Mayors from the following 11 cities supported the effort this year: Portland, Beaverton, Hillsboro, Vancouver, Gold Beach, Bend, Lake Oswego, Albany, Gresham, Troutdale, and Newport. These documents can be viewed in the S.A.M. 59 Award Book, which is maintained at the Assembly meeting site. Nationally, 30 proclamations were produced by the S.A.M. Our effort accounts for one-third of the national effort and far surpasses the results of any other Assembly. (Update: 12/29/07)

Portland Proclamation--2007

Beaverton Proclamation--2007

Special Award for 2006 National Magic Week Activities

During the S.A.M. Annual Convention held in Dallas, TX--July 4-7--Assembly 59 received a special form of recognition. We were awarded a certificate for outstanding contributions to the 2006 National Magic Week event. The Assembly was able to persuade the Oregon Governor and ten area Mayors (see list below) to issue proclamations announcing October 25-31, 2006 as National Magic Week in their respective jurisdictions. This action accounted for about 25% of the total national effort. We're already achieving notable success in our 2007 quest for proclamations.

National Magic Week--2006

Each year governors, mayors, and other public officials throughout the country are requested by local S.A.M. Assemblies to issue proclamations declaring the last week in October as National Magic Week. This is to encourage local magicians to participate in the activities associated with this event. Assembly 59 started the request cycle a little earlier than before to make sure there was enough time to properly coordinate the effort. We had six local municipalities issue proclamations in support of the event in 2005.

In 2006, we invited the Oregon Governor and 15 cities to respond to the call. The result: Governor Ted Kulongoski, Portland Mayor Tom Potter, Beaverton Mayor Rob Drake, Vancouver Mayor Royce Pollard, Bend Mayor Bill Friedman, Oregon City Mayor Alice Norris, Tigard Mayor Craig Dirksen, Sherwood Mayor Keith Mays, Hillsboro Mayor Tom Hughes, Gresham Mayor Charles Becker, and Lake Oswego Mayor Judie Hammerstad have issued their proclamations for 2006. The final count is in and this response from our local elected officials may well be the best of any area in the nation: Our effort produced more than 20% of the total national response.

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