Random Acts of Kindness Day is a day to celebrate and encourage random acts of kindness. "It's just a day to celebrate kindness and the whole pay it forward mentality", said Tracy Van Kalsbeek, executive director of the Stratford Perth Community Foundation, in 2016, where the day is celebrated on November 4. It is celebrated on September 1 in New Zealand and on February 17 in the US.
History of Random Acts of Kindness Day
Random Acts of Kindness Day was first created in Denver, Colorado in 1995 by a small nonprofit organization, the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation; nine years later it spread to New Zealand in 2004. Random Acts of Kindness can include just about anything, including something as simple as taking a tray of muffins to work.
The idea behind this holiday is to make the world a better place by spreading a little light around and to make kindness a part of our everyday lives. Lift someone with your words, compliment them on their appearance… even the simplest acts can help to brighten someone’s day. Although Random Acts of Kindness Day hasn’t been around all that long, kindness itself certainly has! Various studies have concluded that kindness is an inherent part of human nature, with the ability to feel and care for others developing while we’re still babies.
The importance of altruism has long been a topic of discussion in the realms of philosophy, psychology, sociology, and evolutionary biology. There are various theories for why people gravitate towards benevolent behavior – perhaps it’s because doing good deeds for others increases the likelihood that they’ll return the favor if we ever need help in the future, perhaps kindness is hardwired into our brains to aid social attachment and group cohesion, perhaps it’s simply a product of our ability to feel empathy for others. Whatever kindness’s origins, Random Acts of Kindness Day is a way to nurture and encourage this precious trait we all share.