World Kindness Day is an international holiday celebrated annually in many countries, including the United States, Italy, Australia, and Japan on November 13th.1 The purpose of the day is to emphasize the importance of kindness. It helps every person to understand the importance of compassion in unifying people and nations. People can pledge and promote acts of kindness as individuals or as organizations. The day presents an opportunity for everyone to reflect on kindness since it is one of the most important and unifying human principles.2
Currently, people and nations are getting divided every day. We may feel powerless to change the situation. However, when we all do small acts of kindness for one another, it helps to make the world a better place. Kindness doesn’t need much effort, but it has a significant impact on the people around us. That’s the purpose of World Kindness Day: to celebrate kindness and inspire others to do the same.3
During World Kindness Day, everyone worldwide comes together and creates a chain reaction of compassion by performing random acts of kindness for people around strangers and us. You don’t need to spend money; you need to do something nice for someone else. The goal is to spread kindness around the globe and to encourage as many people as possible to participate in World Kindness Day 2021.4
History of World Kindness Day
World Kindness Day was first introduced in 1998 by the World Kindness Movement. The organization was formed in 1997 at a conference in Tokyo by various organizations that championed kindness in the world. Twenty-eight nations were involved in the conference that is not related to any religious or political movement.1 The World Kindness movement was officially registered as an official NGO in 2019 under Swiss Law. 2
During the 1997 conference, the written declaration for the inception of World Kindness Day stated the pledge to join together to build a kinder and more compassionate world. The declaration facilitated the launch of World Kindness Day in 1998. As outlined by the World Kindness Movement, the purpose of the day is “to highlight good deeds in the community focusing on the positive power and the common thread of kindness which binds us.” 3
The day is devoted to promoting small acts of kindness by individuals and organizations to unify people. Since the launch of World Kindness Day, it has achieved global notice. Many events have been created worldwide to celebrate the day, such as concerts; dance mobs; and the distribution of kindness t-shirts, cards, and printouts.2
Although the day is still under unofficial observance, the World Kindness Movement hopes to attain official recognition status by the United States. If successful, World Kindness Day would join the other recognized days of observance, such as the International Day of Peace, Human Rights Day, and World Health Day.1
How to Celebrate World Kindness Day 2021
- Wear a kindness t-shirt. Please take a photo and share it on social media with the hashtag #WorldKindnessDay
- Do random acts of kindness. Be kind to a stranger. Being kind doesn’t have to cost money. Simple actions can go a long way to inspire kindness in the world. Go out of your way to be kind to others at your workplace, in school, or your community. Pledge to do one intentional act of kindness. Smile when you walk by others. Hold the door for an older person. Compliment your coworkers for their kindness, or send an encouraging text to at least five people on your contact list.
- Appreciate others for their kindness and generosity. There are kind people around you who do acts of kindness all year long. Appreciate them for their kindness and encourage them to go on with that spirit. Look for opportunities to add kindness to someone’s day.
- Buy flowers for your loved ones. Treat a stranger or a friend to a cup of coffee. Offer to help a stranded stranger. Reach out to a family member you haven’t talked to in a while, or cook for your sick family member.
- Volunteer in shelters and baby homes. Donate food or toiletries to street families.
- Hug someone. Send an uplifting message to someone who may be stressed.
- Include intentional acts of kindness in your daily routine. For example, allow someone to cut you in traffic with a smile. They are probably in a rush because of an emergency.
Happy World Kindness Day from Mother Earth Products. Get creative and make your list of kind acts for World Kindness Day!
“The world is full of kind people. If you can’t find one, be one.” – Unknown.
References
- https://www.awarenessdays.com/awareness-days-calendar/world-kindness-day-2021/
- https://nationaltoday.com/world-kindness-day/
- https://inspirekindness.com/blog/12-ways-to-participate-in-world-kindness-day-2021
- https://inspirekindness.com/blog/world-kindness-day-2021-your-complete-guide#h_150291441271570018428238