Happy 20th March: International Day of Happiness!

This day shows us that being happy is already a goal we aspire to as a society.

If you didn't know that March 20th is the International Day of Happiness, don't worry.. In this article you will discover the history of when it was created, why, and how we celebrate it today.

Here's what the International Day of Happiness looks like

To this day, there have been many "twentieths of March"; for example, in 1904 the American psychologist Burrhus Frederic Skinner was born, in 1915 German zeppelins bombed Paris during the First World War, and just a year later, in 1916, Albert Einstein published his theory of relativity.

On March 20, 1957, the National Council in Switzerland granted women the vote, while John Lennon and Yoko Ono got married in 1969, the same day that the United States invaded Iraq in 2003.

All these same days in different years have one thing in common, and that is that unforgettable events occurred on them. unforgettable events or events that changed the course of history took place on these days..

On the same date, but already in 2013, there is a day that can also initiate a change in the collective mind of our society; March 20 was then recognized as the International Day of Happiness. But... what is the point of having an International Day of Happiness?

Origins

The United Nations Organization (UN) is the body responsible for creating and formalizing the international days that we have throughout the year. we have throughout the year. And this is done to, in their own words, "raise awareness, raise awareness, draw attention, point out that there is an unresolved problem, an important and pending issue in societies so that, through this awareness, governments and states act and take action or so that citizens demand it from their representatives".

From this we can deduce that, if a day dedicated to happiness has been established, this is clearly an important issue that societies still have pending. No?

And how can it be then that there has not been an International Day of Happiness until only 6 years ago? The reason seems reasonable; it is that civilization has, since its beginnings, given priority to solving the issues that required observation and therefore action at that social-historical moment..

It is for this very reason that we can observe that throughout the different "twentieths of March", there has been a systematic resolution of very varied issues, but, and this is very remarkable, always staggered.

To give an example, it would make no sense to have invented the steam engine without first having "discovered" fire, since one thing depends inexorably on the other.

One step further for mankind

In the current 21st century, and more specifically since the year 2013, we believe we are now ready to embrace the problem of happiness as something to pay attention to..

Finally, organizations around the world have realized that it was necessary to formalize the study and dissemination of happiness, and it is thanks to the creation of these so-called International Days that pages and forums on the subject receive hundreds of thousands of visits from people interested in its commemoration.

Therefore, the mere existence of an International Day of Happiness is in essence an acknowledgment that humanity has begun its quest for happiness.

Why celebrate happiness?

In my writings and in my lectures I have already criticized enough the fact that "happiness" is seen as a fantastic remedy to all our misfortunes, and above all that it is sold as a colorful product full of smiles and indifferent joy.

So, let us assume that it is a mere coincidence (and not a sociocultural result) that the day for happiness was established on March 20th, the day on which spring begins (in the northern hemisphere). (in the northern hemisphere). According to the calculations of the National Astronomical Observatory at 22h 58m (official peninsular time), the birds will be able to sing, the flowers will begin to bloom, and people will have 24 hours to celebrate our happiness.

But rather than focusing on what date happiness is celebrated, we should look at how it is celebrated.. Around the world there are celebrations to commemorate that we are alive, that we are free, that we can be happy... and that it is spring! and that it's spring!

The precedent of the Holi Festival

Have you heard of the Holi Festival? It is a festival with religious origins that is celebrated mainly in India and other nearby countries.

Also called the Spring Festival, the original celebration essentially consists of throwing brightly colored powder and colored water at each other, as a symbol of happiness for the arrival of spring, (Mental note from the author: doesn't anyone celebrate the arrival of winter?) trying to emulate the cheerful colors of the flowers that will be born during the coming season.. It is a magical moment of joy, fun, music and dance, but above all spiritual, because during the eve of the festival, bonfires are lit to commemorate the triumph of "good" over "evil".

In addition, the Holi Festival is a celebration of happiness, it has a meaning linked to culture. Perhaps that is why it has become internationally popular. Moreover, this year's Holi Festival is celebrated on March 20, no less.

Conclusions

Now that we know some details about The Day of Happiness, we will end up including International Days as a measurement system for global issues.

According to the UN, having an International Day is very informative because through its impact we can get to measure the degree of interest that a problem arouses around the world.. These days reveal the secret that the days that attract the most attention every year, in Latin America and Spain, are those dedicated to Nelson Mandela, on July 18, Women, on March 8, and Water, on the 22nd of the same month. And that is precisely why I have written this article and you are reading it, to spread and raise awareness that we all can (and should) celebrate happiness.

If society is now ready to celebrate International Women's Day, it is also ready to celebrate International Happiness Day. In the end, they both serve the same purpose, to create a better world.

How will you celebrate the International Day of Happiness? It is up to each one of us to celebrate happiness this year and in the years to come, claiming it every March 20th, so that we can enjoy it every day of the year.

More twentieths of March throughout history

1821: in Portugal, the government declares the abolition of the Catholic Inquisition.

1873: the Republican National Assembly of Spain approves the abolition of slavery on the island of Puerto Rico.

2016: Barack Obama visits Cuba after 88 years.