World Kindness Day is a global day that promotes the importance of being kind to each other, to yourself, and to the world. This day, celebrated on Nov. 13 of each year, has the purpose is to help everyone understand that compassion for others is what binds us all together. This understanding has the power to bridge the gap between nations.

World Kindness Day is an international holiday that was formed in 1998, to promote kindness throughout the world and is observed annually as part of the World Kindness Movement. It is observed in many countries including the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia and the U.A.E. World Kindness Day presents us with the opportunity to reflect upon one of the most important and unifying human principles. On a day devoted to the positive potential of both large and small acts of kindness, try to promote and diffuse this crucial quality that brings people of every kind together.

The day was first introduced as a day of observation by the World Kindness Movement. In 2019, the organization was registered as an official NGO under Swiss law, but the history of the group stretches back to a Tokyo-based convention in 1997. An array of institutions and associations based in countries including Australia, Thailand, the United States, and the United Kingdom had been assembled at this conference because of their dedication to championing kindness in society. The initial configuration of the World Kindness Movement would form as a result of this event, with the written declaration of their inception stating their “pledge to join together to build a kinder and more compassionate world.” In 1998, in pursuit of this aim, they would facilitate the launch of the inaugural World Kindness Day.

The purpose of World Kindness Day as outlined by the World Kindness Movement is “to highlight good deeds in the community focusing on the positive power and the common thread of kindness which binds us.” Since its creation more than two decades ago, the day has achieved truly global notice; events associated with the day have attracted participants from every inhabited continent. These have included activities such as concerts, dance mobs, and the distribution of “kindness cards.”

While, at present, the day is one of unofficial observance, it remains the hope of the World Kindness Movement to attain official recognition status by the United Nations. Should the group be successful in their efforts, World Kindness Day would join the ranks of recognized days of observance such as International Day of Peace, Human Rights Day, and World Health Day.

Stats for World Kindness Day

Start with children
1 in 4 children in the U.S. experience bullying at school on a regular basis. Teaching kids to be kind to everyone, even if they’re different, and to stand up to bullying when they see it, turns them into brave and kind adults.

A day of unity
Though the movement isn’t affiliated with any religion or political movement, over 28 nations participate in this unofficial holiday. The World Kindness Movement is hoping the day will soon get picked up by the UN for it to become an official international holiday.

It pays to be kind
People who are constantly kind produce 23% less cortisol, which is the stress hormone. Because of the lower levels of stress, people who practice kindness age slower than the average population.

Image Sources

  • World Kindness Day: Shutterstock