International Day of Happiness

Date/Time
Date(s) - 20/03/2019 - 21/03/2019
All Day

The International Day of Happiness is celebrated worldwide every March 20, and was conceptualized and founded by philanthropist, activist, statesman, and prominent United Nations special advisor Jayme Illien to inspire, mobilize, and advance the global happiness movement.

In 2011, Illien brought the idea and concept of creating a new global day of awareness, the International Day of Happiness, to senior United Nations Officials.

Illien successfully campaigned to unite a global coalition of all 193 United Nations member states, and secured the endorsement of then Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki moon, to support the concept of establishing a new official international UN calendar day of observance known as the International Day of Happiness.

Illien authored UN resolution 66/281 ”International Day of Happiness”, which was ultimately adopted by the unanimous consensus of all 193 UN member states of the United Nations General Assembly on June 28, 2012.

Jayme Illien chose March 20 for its significance as the March equinox, a universal phenomenon felt simultaneously by all of humankind, and which occurs the moment when the plane of Earth’s equator passes through the center of the Sun’s disk.

On September 17, 2012, Secretary General Ban Ki moon emphasized the importance of the new international day of happiness in his closing remarks to the 66th session of the UN General Assembly,

“Mr. President, during your tenure, the General Assembly also instituted a new observance on the UN calendar: the International Day of Happiness. Let us hope that through our work, including in the new session that begins tomorrow, we can turn that aspiration into reality.”

The first ever international day of happiness was celebrated on March 20, 2013.

Every March 20 since 2013, the International Day of Happiness is celebrated in 193 UN Member states[14], 2 observer states, and 11 territories.

On the 3rd every international day of happiness, UN Secretary Ban Ki moon said

“Happiness for the entire human family is one of the main goals of the United Nations,” and called upon all human beings to “dedicate our efforts to filling our world with happiness.”