World Smile Day is celebrated every year on the first Friday of October as an opportunity to promote smiles and simple acts of kindness to spread cheer.

World Smile Day was first celebrated in 1999 after Harvey Ball, the creator of the smiley face, established the day by calling out people across the world to "do an act of kindness and help one person smile."

Ball created the smiley face in 1963, and it soon became the most recognizable symbol of goodwill and cheer on the planet. However, over the period, Ball felt his symbol lost its meaning due to overuse and established World Smile Day to bring back the original intent.

Health Benefits of Smiling:

Apart from the feel-good power of the happy facial expression, a smile is known to bring several surprising health benefits.

  1. Smiling relieves stress, reduces blood pressure, relaxes your body, and elevates your mood.
  2. Studies have shown that happy people have better health and longevity.
  3. Smiling is a contagious facial expression that lights up both the person who expresses it and those who receive it.
  4. Smiling improves your immunity and thus helps in improving your overall health.
  5. Studies have shown that smiling releases endorphins, feel-good chemicals that help reduce physical pain.
smile day
smile day pixabay

Here are some quotes that will help you understand the importance of expressing yourself with a smile:

Courtesy-Parade

  1. "Let us always meet each other with smile, for the smile is the beginning of love." -Mother Teresa
  2. "A warm smile is the universal language of kindness."- William Arthur Ward
  3. "Use your smile to change the world but don't let the world change your smile."-Unknown
  4. "Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around."- Leo F. Buscaglia
  5. "Smile at strangers and you just might change a life."- Steve Maraboli
  6. "Smile, smile, smile at your mind as often as possible. Your smiling will considerably reduce your mind's tearing tension."- Sri Chinmoy
  7. "Smile is the beauty of the soul."- Lailah Gifty Akita
  8. "A smiling face is a beautiful face. A smiling heart is a happy heart."- Dr. T.P.Chia