The International Day of Happiness may seem like an opportunity to cultivate optimism or express gratitude for the things in your life that bring you joy. However, it’s actually a United Nations project with a more important goal. According to the UN, happiness will only be shared by all when there is equality among all people.
An equinox occurs when the sun’s centre is exactly above the Earth’s equator on this particular date (as well as on September 23). Almost equal amounts of time are spent during the day and night on Earth during the equinox. Everyone on the earth is affected by the equinox, which is a wonderful fit with the concept of the Day of Happiness.
Every one of the 193 nations that make up the United Nations has observed the Day of Happiness since 2013.
How did the concept originate?
The concept dates back to 1972, when Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the King of Bhutan, declared that happiness should be the primary indicator of a nation’s development rather than its GDP or level of output. Gross National Happiness (GNH) is what he named it.
Once more, it’s not only a charming concept. Bhutan created a system to gauge people’s level of happiness based on factors such as their environment, education, place of residence, spending habits, psychological well-being, and overall health. About 300 questions are asked of people in Bhutan, and the answers are compared annually to track development.
The nation’s decisions are made by the government using the findings and concepts of GNH. Shorter, comparable versions of these reports are used in other locations; some examples are the US states of Vermont and Washington, D.C.; Victoria, Canada; and Seattle, USA.
A UN advisor named Jayme Illien proposed the concept of an international day of happiness in 2011. In 2012, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon approved his plan. Born in Calcutta, India, Jayme lost his parents when he was a young child, leaving him an orphan. Anna Belle Illien, an American nurse, adopted him. She took Jayme with her when she traversed the world in order to assist orphans.
He witnessed kids just like him who were either extremely poor or frequently fleeing battle, making them less fortunate than he was. He worked in the human rights and children’s rights fields because he wanted to make a difference.
The World Happiness Report
In the World Happiness Report, the UN gauges and contrasts the levels of happiness in various nations. The report’s foundation is the state of the environment, economy, and society. Since the UN believes that happiness is a fundamental human right, it also sets objectives for nations to meet in order to promote happiness. People shouldn’t be allowed to be happy just because they are fortunate enough to live in a place where access to fundamental necessities like healthcare, education, and peace of mind exists.