World Kindness Day
World Kindness Day is celebrated all over the globe on November 13. It is the product of the World Kindness Movement, and the purpose of World Kindness Day is to highlight the importance of random acts of kindness and the chain of paying it forward. It encourages people to be kind to each other, and thus spread kindness in their communities since it has been proven that when we witness people doing something kind, we are more likely to do something nice for others ourselves.
Background
World Kindness Day was established in 1998 by a coalition of NGOs from various countries, known as the World Kindness Movement. According to them, their goal when creating this day was to "highlight good deeds in the community focusing on the positive power and the common thread of kindness which binds us.” Although World Kindness Day is observed all around the world, it is still an unofficial holiday, waiting to be recognized by the United Nations.
The World Kindness Movement was founded in 1997 in a Tokyo convention, attended by several NGOs from countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. The convention gathered organizations whose purpose was to spread kindness in society. The established coalition that was to become the World Kindness Movement pledged to build a kinder world together. The organization registered as an official NGO in 2019.
By encouraging people to perform random acts of kindness, a chain begins to form, where people witness others be kind to people and decide to perform kind acts themselves. It also reminds us that even by performing one small act of kindness, we have the power to seriously impact someone else's life. If someone is having a bad day, even a smile or a kind word from a stranger will make them feel better. By always striving to be kind to others, we are helping make the world a better, happier place.
How to Celebrate World Kindness Day
The best way to celebrate this day is by performing little acts of kindness throughout the day, and try to keep it up in your day-to-day life.
Being kind is very easy to do, it can be something as small as complimenting people. Tell your friends, family, and coworkers something nice about their outfit, their hair, their personality. It is a sure way to make someone instantly feel good.
If you see someone struggling or having a hard time with something - such as carrying their groceries, stranded on the side of the road, dropping something on the floor - take some time off your day to give them a hand. You are sure to inspire them to do the same for someone else.
Take a look around you on this day and you will notice that there are endless possibilities to be kind to others every day. Try to do as many kindness acts as you can!
Some people choose to wear a cardigan during World Kindness Day, in honor of one of America's biggest symbols of kindness, Mr. Rogers.
