World Smile Day 2022: best smile quotes, date of day in UK, how to celebrate and this year’s theme

World Smile Day takes place every year in October in celebration of small acts of kindness and the things that we can all do to make other people smile.

It was created over two decades ago by Harvey Ball, the man who created the smiley face emoticon. Ball died in 2001, but the day has become his legacy in the UK and around the world.

So, what exactly is World Smile Day, how can you celebrate it and what are some of the best quotes about smiling?

Here’s what you need to know.

What is World Smile Day?

World Smile Day is a relatively new holiday, which celebrates the smiley face emoticon and how that is a symbol of good will, cheer, happiness and joy.

The smiley face emotion was created by Harvey Ball, a commercial artist from Massachusetts, United States, in 1963.

Over time, Ball became concerned about the over-commercialisation of the symbol he had created, and began to worry that its original meaning and intent had been lost in its constant use.

Out of that concern came his idea for World Smile Day. He thought that everyone in the world should devote one day each year to smiles and kind acts throughout the world.

Ball said that the smiley face emoticon has no politics, no geography and no religion, and that for at least one day each year neither should people.

When is World Smile Day?

Ball declared that the first Friday in October should be World Smile Day, with the first one being held in his hometown in 1999.

In the last 23 years, the day has grown in popularity, and it is now celebrated in the US, the UK and across the world.

That means that, in 2022, World Smile Day will be held on Friday 7 October.

What is the theme of World Smile Day?

Every year, World Smile Day has the same theme; do and act of kindness and help one person smile.

How can I celebrate World Smile Day?

People, schools, businesses and organisations around the world organise various events in celebration of World Smile Day every year.

There have previously been attempts to break the record for largest human smiley faces, and people have delivered meals and smiley treats to the needy, making videos, and so much more.

Since the creation of social media, which was not available when Ball first created World Smile Day, people have also been encouraged to take part in the #WorldSmileDayChallenge on social media.

The principle remains the same, but once people have completed their act of kindness they are encouraged to tell the world by posting about it and using the hashtags #worldsmileday, #worldsmiledaychallenge or #wsdchallenge.

This way, happiness and smiles are spread not just among friends and family in one place, but also among strangers around the world.

To take part in World Smile Day, you can create an event or challenge of your own, look in your local community venues to discover if anything has been organised in celebration, or simply do an act of kindness.

What are the best quotes about smiling?

Here are some of the best quotes about smiling, to bring a smile to your face, and inspire you to go out and do an act of kindness for someone else.

• “Smile in the mirror. Do that every morning and you’ll start to see a big difference in your life” - Yoko Ono
• “A smile is happiness you’ll find right under your nose” - Tom Wilson
• “A smile is the light in your window that tells others that there is a caring, sharing person inside” - Denis Waitley
• “What sunshine is to flowers, smiles are to humanity” - Joseph Addison
• “Remember even though the outside world might be raining, if you keep on smiling the sun will soon show its face and smile back at you” - Anna Lee
• “A smile is the universal welcome.” - Max Eastman
• “I think that anybody that smiles automatically looks better” - Diane Lane
• “I want to touch the heart of the world and make it smile” - Charles De Lint
• “The happiness of life is made up of minute fractions - the little, soon forgotten charities of a kiss or a smile, a kind look or heartfelt compliment” - Samuel Taylor Coleridge
• “When I look out at the people and they look at me and they’re smiling, then I know that I’m loved. That is the time when I have no worries, no problems” - Etta James
• “Let us always meet each other with smile, for the smile is the beginning of love” - Mother Teresa
• “There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing a happy and smiling child. A child’s smile is worth more than all the money in the world” - Lionel Messi