Throughout the year there are loads of fun and strange “days” to celebrate, such as Opposite Day, Friendship Day, Galentine’s Day and National Pizza Day, to name a few.
Friday 17 February marks Random Acts of Kindness Day - this is everything you need to know and how you can get involved.
What is Random Acts of Kindness Day?
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Random Acts of Kindness Day, as the title suggests, is a day which encourages people to take part in a random act of kindness, be it big or small.
It was created when the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation was founded in 1995 in America by Will Glennon, who is currently the Chairman of World Kindness, USA.
The Foundation states that it was created “during a summer of violence when a reporter noted that people should stop reporting on “random acts of violence” and start “practising random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty””.


Through this notion, the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation was born. The foundation describes itself as a small nonprofit which invests time, expertise and resources into its mission - “Makes Kindness the Norm”.
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The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation says that there are “scientifically proven benefits of being kind”.
The site states that kindness increases “the love hormone, energy, happiness, lifespan, pleasure and serotonin” and decreases “pain, stress, anxiety, depression and blood pressure”.
When is it?
Random Acts of Kindness Day takes place on 17 February every year.
Random Acts of Kindness ideas
If you’re looking to get involved in Random Acts of Kindness Day, but don’t know where to start, here are some ideas to get you started. Your random act of kindness can be anything that you feel comfortable with - no act of kindness is too small.
You could:
Reach out to a friend or family member and let them know how much you care about them
Compliment a stranger on their outfit
Pay it forward, for example, by paying for the person’s meal behind you in a drive-thru
Do some volunteer work
Donate money to a charity
Buy flowers for someone who you think might need a pick me up
Write a five star online review for your favourite local shop or restaurant
If you work in an office, take in some sweet treats for everyone to enjoy
Pick up any litter at your local park or playground
Let a manager know about the great service you received from a good employee
Be generous with likes and nice comments on social media
How to say ‘Happy Random Acts of Kindness Day’
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There’s no better way to wish someone a “Happy Random Acts of Kindness Day” than with an inspiring quote about the power of kindness.
One of these should do the trick:
“Kindness is doing what you can, where you are, with what you have.”
“How do we change the world? With one random act of kindness at a time.”
“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”


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“Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for a kindness.”
“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”
“Kindness can transform someone’s dark moment with a blaze of light. You’ll never know how much your caring matters. Make a difference for another today.”
“Ask yourself: have you been kind today? Make kindness your modus operandi and change the world.”
“When words are both true and kind, they can change the world.”
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“We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery, we need humanity. More than cleverness, we need kindness and gentleness.”