My friend Mark once “pinch and punched” his boss during a Monday morning meeting. His boss, a stern older woman, froze for a second—then burst out laughing. Now their whole office does it. They have a “lucky pinch” tradition where whoever gets the first one buys coffee for the team. Team bonding, courtesy of a silly rhyme.
A pinch and a punch for the first of the month | Funny cartoon
And then there’s my neighbor, Mrs. Higgins. She’s 78 years old, and every first of the month, she waits by her front door to catch her grandson on his way to school. She gives him a gentle pinch on the ear and a little tap on the shoulder, saying she’s “squeezing out the bad luck from last month.” He pretends to be annoyed, but he beams at her. It’s a tiny moment of connection that stretches across generations.
Why you should care (even if you’re a skeptic)
Maybe you’re thinking, “That’s just silly kid stuff.” And you’re right—it is. But here’s the thing: the first of the month can feel heavy. Bills, deadlines, resolutions. Pinch and punch turns that date into a tiny celebration. It gives you a reason to laugh, to touch another person playfully, and to start the month with a smile instead of a sigh.
Plus, it creates stories. You’ll remember the time you got caught by the mailman, or when your cat inadvertently became the target (trust me, my cat hates it). It’s free entertainment that costs nothing but a little courage to be silly.
