The International Day of Happiness is celebrated throughout the world on 20 March. It was established by the

United Nations General Assembly The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA or GA; , AGNU or AG) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), serving as its main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ. Currently in its Seventy-ninth session of th ...

on 28 June 2012. The International Day of Happiness aims to make people around the world realize the importance of happiness within their lives. In 2015, the United Nations launched 17

Sustainable Development Goals The ''2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development'', adopted by all United Nations (UN) members in 2015, created 17 world Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The aim of these global goals is "peace and prosperity for people and the planet" – wh ...

to make people's lives happier. Its main development goals are eradicate poverty, reduce

inequality Inequality may refer to: * Inequality (mathematics), a relation between two quantities when they are different. * Economic inequality, difference in economic well-being between population groups ** Income inequality, an unequal distribution of i ...

and protect our planet. The United Nations invites people of all ages to join in celebrating the International Day of Happiness. Assembly Resolution A/RES/66/281 states in pertinent part:

History

Before the International Day of Happiness was established, together with Luis Gallardo, President of the World Happiness Foundation, Jayme Illien founded "Happytalism." Illien ran a campaign at the United Nations from 2006 to 2012 to encourage and advance the primacy of happiness, well-being, and democracy. In 2011, Jayme Illien proposed the idea of the International Day of Happiness at the United Nations General Assembly. He wanted the United Nations General Assembly to promote Happiness economics around the world by improving the economic development of all countries. The idea was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly. On 19 July 2011, the United Nations General Assembly passed UN resolution 65/309, Happiness Toward A Holistic Approach To Growth, an initiative of then-Prime Minister Jigme Thinley of Bhutan, a country that has famously pursued the target of ""Gross National Happiness"" since the 1970s. The International Day of Happiness officially established it in 2012 and first commemorated it in 2013. Building on the concept of Jayme Illien, the United Nations has taken a step forward with World Happiness Day to inform people about the importance of happiness in people's lives and the need to incorporate happiness into public policies.

Celebration

On World

Happiness Happiness is a complex and multifaceted emotion that encompasses a range of positive feelings, from contentment to intense joy. It is often associated with positive life experiences, such as achieving goals, spending time with loved ones, ...

Day, the

calls for people to make more continuous progress in the small things that continue to make their lives better. Share happiness with friends and family on the International Day of Happiness. Taking the time to note and appreciate what one has to be thankful for, even the little things, will make people feel happier and more fulfilled in life. Consider making this a daily habit, such as keeping a gratitude log. Spend time with loved ones and try to repair any relationships that are going through a tough patch since good quality relationships are crucial to happiness. Try a step-by-step program, where you meet with like-minded individuals on a daily basis to assist each other in taking action and living healthier lives. You may also donate to or work with a charity that encourages good deeds of your choosing. Social networking is another way to connect with others. It's a particularly powerful tool on this day because it helps us to instantly share and spread our activities, as well as the joy they bring, all over the world.

Ukrainian Smiley

For the International Day of Happiness in 2022, a smiley was projected onto notable buildings around the world in an attempt to spread happiness. The

smiley A smiley, sometimes called a smiley face, is a basic ideogram representing a Smile, smiling face. Since the 1950s, it has become part of popular culture worldwide, used either as a standalone ideogram or as a form of communication, such as em ...

s didn't contain any message on the projections, instead the top half was blue and the bottom half yellow, to replicate the Ukrainian flag. It came at a time when the

Russo-Ukrainian War The Russo-Ukrainian War began in February 2014 and is ongoing. Following Ukraine's Revolution of Dignity, Russia Russian occupation of Crimea, occupied and Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, annexed Crimea from Ukraine. It then ...

had just begun, with the smiley to display not only happiness, but solidarity with

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

. Cities where the Ukrainian smiley was displayed included

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

, Los Angeles,

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, Berlin, Paris,

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...

, Rome and

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

Official Advocacy

On 22 January 2013, then

UN Secretary General The secretary-general of the United Nations (UNSG or UNSECGEN) is the chief administrative officer of the United Nations and head of the United Nations Secretariat, one of the United Nations System#Six principal organs, six principal organs of ...

Ban Ki moon stated in an address to the UN General Assembly and focus on people should get together facing the problems we have, and try to achieve the mission that to meet a society with happiness.

The Official Information by Happiness day

Ten steps to meet the goal of global happiness in 2021

Source: # Do things that makes you happy # Tell Everyone # Participate in and celebrate the World Happiness Contest # Give and spread happiness to others # To celebrate # Share the things that make you happy on social media # Promote the resolution # We will advance the United Nations global goals for sustainable development # Enjoy nature # Adopt happytalism

Seven main missions in 2021

Source: #Happiness as a fundamental human right and goal for all # Happiness as a universal aspiration in the lives of all # Happiness as a way of living, being, and serving communities and society # Happiness as a north star for individuals, communities, governments, and society. # Happiness path toward achieving the sustainable development goals # Happiness as a "new paradigm' for human development # Worldwide celebration of the international day of happiness that is democratic, diverse, organic, and inclusive

References

External links

*{{Official website, https://www.un.org/en/observances/happiness-day March observances United Nations days