World Hello Day

Break out those hit songs by Adele; Lionel Richie; and Oasis, because it is World Hello Day.

Don’t beat yourself up if you didn’t know this day existed, because I just learned of it as well. Now we can both celebrate and participate. In response to the Yom Kippur War of 1973, World Hello was created that year by Brian and Michael McCormack on November 21 (“World Hello Day 2016”). The casualty counts for that war were extremely high, with Israel suffering less than 12,000 and Egypt and Syria combined suffering over 60,000 (“The Arab-Israeli War of 1973: Honor, Oil, and Blood | HistoryNet.”).

The purpose of World Hello Day is for our world leaders to resolve their issues through talking rather than bloodshed. Each year, 180 countries take part by greeting at least ten people(“World Hello Day – November 21, 2016.”). 

Not only does World Hello Day serve world peace, but it also encourages interpersonal communication. The first step in developing any type of relationship starts with the greeting, so go out and say hello to a stranger. They may become your next friend, coworker, business partner, or significant other. Also, just greeting someone lets them know lets them know that you acknowledge their presence and are comfortable with them. It sure beats an awkward stare down when you come across someone in a hallway. 

There are no rules, but seek to greet someone in person, rather than via text. This is just my opinion, but it makes the experience seem more real because you get to see the expression upon one’s face and they can see yours. Let’s say someone is having an unpleasant morning at work. They’ve been at their job site since 4:00 am, and they are counting down the minutes to the end of their shift. You walk in at 12:00 pm with a smile on your face, and you greet that person. Just being greeted and seeing your golden expression can put that person in a happy mood as well. 

Go greet everyone today: family, friends, crushes, coworkers, teachers, strangers. Have a good day.

Sources:
“World Hello Day 2016.” Kleiner Kalender. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2016.

@HistoryNet. “The Arab-Israeli War of 1973: Honor, Oil, and Blood | HistoryNet.” HistoryNet. N.p., 2015. Web. 20 Nov. 2016.

“World Hello Day – November 21, 2016.” World Hello Day – November 21, 2016. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2016.

https://cdn.meme.am/cache/instances/folder386/500x/65346386.jpg. Web. 21 Nov. 2016