Every year International Day of Happiness is celebrated on 20th March. It’s a day when happiness is celebrated by expressing ourselves through a smile. People can also express themselves by a small kind gesture to a stranger. There are no restrictions on how anyone wants to express their happiness.
The theme for 2024 International Day of Happiness is: “Be Kind, Be Mindful, Be Grateful “. This draws attention to the fact that only by being kind and considerate to the people surrounding us can we find true happiness. A smiling face does not always mean that the person is happy from within. There is no way to know the true emotions of the people we have known for some time, forget about those we have just met. Therefore, this theme reminds us to be mindful of our actions towards others. Ensure that our actions and words do not hurt other people’s feelings.
Importance of International Day of Happiness.
The UN general assembly in 2011 recognized happiness as a fundamental human goal and passed the resolution for the same. First UN conference on happiness took place in 2012 and it was decided that International Day of Happiness will be celebrated every year on 20th march every year. 2013 was the first year when it was officially celebrated. All UN members collectively decided that as happiness is a basic human right it should be given a greater priority and should be considered as an index to measure the growth of a nation.
The world happiness report is released every year on 20th march only. happiness report of 2024 can be seen here.
The list of world’s happiest and world’s unhappiest countries can be seen here.
This constitution resolution was initiated by Bhutan. It was the first country to adopt Gross National Happiness over Gross National Product, and this was done back in the early 1970s. This is the proof of this country’s forward and productive thinking.
When many people are happy in a nation, it tells many positive things about that nation. This can be seen in Finland; this country has been ranked as happiest country in the world this year also, 6th time consecutively. The reason is mainly attributed to their way of life which is very chill. They are very laid back and at peace with their lot in life. It can also be due to their beautiful landscapes and sceneries or their effective time management or maybe having effective exercises like cycling, jogging etc. be it snowing or any other unfavorable weather.
Whatever may be the reason, on this International Day of Happiness lets take a lesson from people of Finland to stay happy in whatever weather and situation life provides us with.
Should we celebrate a day of Happiness?
By celebrating a day of happiness internationally it sends the message that happiness is not a single person pursuit but a collective one. Everyone has a role to build a happy and peaceful world. By celebrating International Day of Happiness, people who are depressed or sad also get motivated to be happy and smile at least on that day. They can start by being happy a single day and then the next day and ultimately inculcating a habit of smiling at least once a day.
To celebrate International Day of Happiness many individuals and organizations organize events to make people aware of the benefits of being happy. There are many workshops organized to make people laugh. The best way to express happiness is to laugh. Many studies have shown that by laughing loudly there is a burst of fresh oxygen in the lungs, improvement of circulation in the body, release of tension in muscles and release of endorphins from the brain. All this helps to soothe and relax the person. So, laugh and the world will laugh with you.
On this International Day of Happiness, we should make a resolution with ourselves to be considerate and kind to the people around us. This will make them feel happy. And when our surroundings are filled with positivity and happiness we will also be happy as happiness is quite contagious. Always having a smile on our face is a powerful thing. So, stay happy and healthy and keep smiling.
