World Hello Day is celebrated on November 21 annually. It is observed to illustrate the importance of personal communication for preserving peace.
On November 21, 180 nations observe World Hello Day to highlight the value of interpersonal communication in maintaining peace. The purpose of the holiday is to emphasize that instead of resorting to violence, conflicts should be resolved through dialogue.
World Hello Day: Date
Day is celebrated on November 17 every year.
- 2024: 21 November, 2024 [Thursday]
- 2025: 21 November, 2025 [Friday]
- 2026: 21 November, 2025 [Saturday]
History:
In response to the Yom Kippur War, Brian McCormack, an Arizona State University Ph.D. graduate, and Michael McCormack, a Harvard University graduate, established World Hello Day in 1973. To encourage participation in the first World Hello Day, the McCormack brothers sent 1,360 letters to leaders of governments across the globe in seven different languages. Since then, 180 nations around the world have celebrated World Hello Day.
Significance:
This day is a chance for people all over the world to try to reach out to one another and make progress toward world peace. Saying “hello” is the main way to establish this personal connection.
The only true tradition connected to World Hello Day is the custom of greeting friends, family, and total strangers. Those who wish to observe this holiday should make an effort to greet at least ten people they come in contact with during the course of the day, especially strangers. Additionally, people ought to spend some time learning a few different greetings and then practicing them at least once a day.
The message is primarily for global leaders to resolve conflicts through dialogue rather than force.
Celebration:
Simply by wishing ten or more people a happy hello, anyone can take part in World Hello Day. This demonstrates how crucial direct communication is to keep the peace. In response to the conflict between Egypt and Israel in the autumn of 1973, World Hello Day was established. World Hello Day provides an opportunity for people all over the world to express their concern for world peace. Their actions, which begin with a straightforward greeting on World Hello Day, send a message to leaders, urging them to resolve disputes through dialogue rather than force. Day received support from 15 nations in its first year.
Nobel Peace Prize winners are among those who have emphasized the importance of World Hello Day as a tool for maintaining peace and as a chance for anyone to take part in the process of bringing about peace. Nearly 100 other authors, performers, and world leaders are also supporters.
So, do not forget to extend to say HELLO today.
Fun Facts:
- Hello is often one of the first words a baby says.
- Thomas Edison was the first to say hello upon receiving a phone call.
- Hello is believed to derive from the word hail, which dates back to the Middle Ages.
- Hello is related to other words that mean health.
- The word was first used in the 1800s but was used to express surprise.
- Hola, Bonjour, Guten tag, Ciao, Namaste, Salaam, Ohayo, Jambo, and Nay hoh, are all ways to say hello in other languages.
How Do You Say Hello in Other Languages?
- Navajo: Yá’át’ééh
- Swahili: Habari
- Mandarin: 你好 (Nǐ hǎo)
- Choctaw: Halito
- Yoruba: Pẹlẹ o
- Hindi: नमस्ते (Namaste)
- Hopi: Ha’u
- Wolof: Salaam alaikum
- Spanish: Hola