International Day of Happiness - A Day of Sharing and Love

(Baonghean.vn) - In June 2012, the United Nations declared March 20th as the International Day of Happiness. 193 member states (including Vietnam) pledged to support this day through efforts to improve the quality of life, build a just society, and achieve sustainable development, all aimed at bringing happiness to their people.

It can be said that in social life, happiness is the ultimate goal for everyone, and people, regardless of the historical period, have always sought happiness and wished to be happy. Therefore, nations are working together to achieve happiness, aiming to create harmony in the socio-economic development of their countries and ensure a sustainable future for humanity. The United Nations' recognition of "International Happiness Day" is a concrete step towards nations living in harmony and peace, building a happy world.

International Happiness Day, celebrated on March 20th, is a day for the whole world to focus on a core issue in life: How can we find more joy in life?

International Happiness Day originated from Bhutan, a small country nestled deep in the eastern Himalayas, which is considered to have a high happiness index based on factors such as health, mental well-being, education, environment, governance quality, and living standards. Bhutan prioritized national happiness over national income from the early 1970s and is renowned for pursuing Gross National Happiness (GNH) as its goal, rather than Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The representative of Bhutan stated that the need for this Happiness Day is for all nations and people around the world to take steps to overcome differences between countries and people worldwide, and to unite and bring together all of humanity.

March 20th – International Happiness Day – also conveys the message that balance and harmony are key to happiness. (Illustrative image)

The United Nations chose March 20th as International Happiness Day because it is a special day of the year when the sun is directly above the equator, and the length of day and night are equal – symbolizing balance and harmony in the universe. Therefore, March 20th – International Happiness Day – also conveys the message that "Balance and harmony are among the keys to happiness."

"For each person, happiness can have many different meanings. However, we all agree that happiness means working to end conflict, poverty, and other unfortunate conditions that so many of our fellow human beings are currently living in."

Happiness is not something frivolous, nor is it a luxury. Happiness is a profound aspiration of every member of the human family. Happiness should not be denied to anyone and should belong to everyone. This aspiration is embodied in the commitment of the United Nations Charter to promote peace, justice, human rights, social progress, and improved living standards.

Family happiness is the future of children. (Illustrative image.)

To achieve the goal of developing social welfare, building prosperous, progressive, and happy Vietnamese families, and in response to the International Day of Happiness on March 20th launched by the United Nations, on December 26, 2013, the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 2589/QD-TTg approving the Project "Organizing activities on the International Day of Happiness on March 20th annually" to raise awareness among all levels, sectors, organizations, individuals, families, and the entire society about the International Day of Happiness, thereby taking concrete and practical actions to build happy families and happy communities for Vietnamese people; strengthening the participation and coordination among all levels, sectors, and strata of the people, and the cooperation and assistance of organizations and individuals inside and outside the country for activities on the International Day of Happiness.

Peace

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