International Day of Happiness has recently been celebrated annually since 2013. March 20.
It is worth noting that no one declared this day an official holiday. However, this does not make the International Day of Happiness a less significant holiday compared to the rest, because its goal is global – to draw people’s attention to life satisfaction and support their desire to be happy.
By the way, the date for the celebration of the International Day of Happiness was not chosen by chance. After all, March 20 comes the spring equinox, when the day becomes equal to the night in duration. Thus, the founders of the holiday wanted to emphasize that all people on the planet have equal rights to happiness.
History and traditions of the holiday
International Day of Happiness was established by a resolution of the UN General Assembly on June 28, 2012. The initiators of the appearance of such a holiday and the authors of the document adopted by the world organization were representatives of Bhutan – a small state in South Asia, which is located between India and China.
The fact is that the Bhutanese government considers it its main goal to make all its citizens happy. This country even has a state commission on universal national happiness and a ministry of happiness, and the generally accepted concept of gross domestic product (GDP) has been replaced there by gross national happiness (it is this indicator that determines the well-being of a nation).
Thus, supporting the initiative of Bhutan, the UN recognized that the achievement of happiness is one of the most important goals of the entire human community, and called on all countries of the world to do everything possible to improve the living standards of the population.
As for traditions, there are not so many of them yet, because the International Day of Happiness is still a very young holiday. As a rule, lectures, seminars, conferences and trainings are held on this day, the participants of which talk about the importance of happiness for a person and share ideas for improving life and improving society.
Libraries arrange presentations of books on the theme of happiness. In educational institutions they talk about the importance of a positive attitude towards life and others, and also conduct a variety of psychological tests and trainings. Charitable foundations and public associations arrange flash mobs.
And ordinary people just send their friends and loved ones congratulations with wishes of all the best. After all, it is believed that by supporting each other, people make the world kinder, and therefore happier.
Interesting Facts
As researchers from the University of Minnesota found, happiness is 50% genes, 10% reality, and 40% our thoughts.
Happiness is a biochemical process associated with the hormones serotonin (guarantees a burst of energy and good mood), dopamine (creates a long-lasting positive mood) and endorphins (provides a short-term burst of euphoria).
Playing sports and being in the sun can make you happy. Intense exercise stimulates the production of dopamine, and ultraviolet light increases the concentration of serotonin.
A simple smile will add happiness. However, if a person smiles feignedly, then this will not bring him anything good, moreover, his misfortune may even worsen. To find out, the scientists studied a group of bus drivers for two weeks. It turned out that the drivers, who smiled feignedly, were in a worse mood by the end of the day than when the shift began. And those who smiled sincerely, the mood became better.
We become happier by spending money on others. To prove this fact, the researchers gathered two groups of people and gave each participant in the experiment a small amount of money (from five to 20 dollars). At the same time, the first group was asked to spend money on themselves, and the second – on others. As a result, it turned out that the subjects from the second group felt happier than those who were in the first.
The best color for happiness is yellow. But dull and gray colors negatively affect our mood and attitude.
In 2017, Our Country ranked 49th in the ranking of countries in terms of happiness, compiled by the Earth Institute research center, working under the auspices of the UN. Norway topped the list, followed by Denmark and Iceland. At the very bottom of the ranking were Rwanda, Syria, Tanzania, Burundi and the Central African Republic.
Where is celebrated
In almost all countries of the world, some thematic events are held on the International Day of Happiness. Most of them are organized by the UN (being the founder of the holiday, the organization is also engaged in its promotion).
By the way, the United Nations recently called for help the Smurfs – fabulous blue men who live in the forest and are always happy to help everyone. In 2017, several videos appeared on the Internet featuring these funny gnomes calling for the achievement of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (these goals are aimed at eradicating poverty, reducing inequality and protecting our planet). In addition, the creators of The Smurfs: The Lost Village took part in a special ceremony at the UN headquarters in New York.
But the most active International Day of Happiness is celebrated online. Usually on March 20, Internet users send each other virtual cards, congratulations and other amenities that can make their recipients a little happier.