International Day of Happiness is celebrated on 20 March every year. The purpose of this day is to know the value of happiness in one’s life and create awareness around it. The General Assembly of the United Nations passed a resolution on 12 July 2012 and proclaimed 20 March the International Day of Happiness. In 2013, the United Nations’ 193 member states commemorated the first International Day of Happiness.
Theme: This year’s theme for International Day of Happiness is ‘Be Mindful, Be Grateful, Be Kind’. As per the day of happiness website, “We can create a happier and kinder world together by adopting simple, daily practices.”
Significance: Since 2013, the United Nations has celebrated the International Day of Happiness as a way to recognise the importance of happiness in the lives of people around the world. The day aims to recognize and calls for “a more inclusive, equitable and balanced approach to economic growth that promotes the happiness and well-being of all peoples.” The day recognizes the relevance of happiness and well-being as universal goals and aspirations in the lives of human beings around the world and the importance of their recognition in public policy objectives. It also recognizes the need for a more inclusive, equitable and balanced approach to economic growth that promotes sustainable development, poverty eradication, happiness and the well-being of all peoples. In 2015, the UN launched the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, which seek to end poverty, reduce inequality, and protect our planet – three key aspects that lead to well-being and happiness. .
In July 2012, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution declaring March 20 as the International Day of Happiness. The resolution was initiated by Bhutan, a country which recognized the value of national happiness over national income since the early 1970s and famously adopted the goal of Gross National Happiness over Gross National Product. It also hosted a High Level Meeting on “Happiness and Well-Being: Defining a New Economic Paradigm” during the sixty-sixth session of the General Assembly
