Snicker, cackle, guffaw or chortle on World Laughter Day!

If you laugh by yourself, you’ll be considered crazy.

We probably don’t even have to tell you that!

But today is different for the first Sunday of May every year is celebrated as the World Laughter Day!

World Laughter Day was first established in 1998 by Dr Madan Kataria, who hails from India and originated the Laughter Yoga therapy.

Dr. Madan Kataria

The goal of this day is simple: giggle and make others chortle. The fascinating part is that laughter can be induced on purpose too.

While sometimes we laugh naturally...

Other times, you can make yourself laugh!

This stems from scientific research, since humans are programmed to associate happiness with the sound of laughter – ha ha ha. “[…] A team of British neuroscientists determined that even remote Northern Namibian tribes, which have had virtually no contact with the outside world, use this sound to laugh, meaning it may be a human universal. The ‘ha, ha, ha,’ it appears, is in our DNA,” Huffington Post reported back in 2013.

In fact, American Laughing Championship is a thing!

And so is Irish Laughter Championships.

Interestingly, studies on laughter are rooted in the William James’ Facial Feedback Hypothesis, which entails that a person’s expressions can and usually affect their mood.

Laughter leaders hope to spread positivity through feelings of joy and peace. They intend to build a global brotherhood that benefits from chuckles in terms of wellness and healing.

All over the world today, people will be gathering in parks and public spaces to… you guessed it… laugh!

Sounds weird, right?

Oh well, so be it. We are laughing already!