Today is World Hello Day—a day that encourages us to take the time to exchange a smile, wave and simple hello with 10 people we meet throughout the day. The goal of the day is to demonstrate the importance of simple communication in preserving peace.

The history of World Hello Day

In 1973, American brothers Michael and Brian McCormack created World Hello Day in response to conflict in the middle east. Their intent was to show people that conflicts are best resolved through communication instead of violence. Since then, the day has been observed by people in 120 countries, and endorsed by 31 Nobel Peace Prize winners.

Fast forward 50 years and we’re in the middle of another period of conflict in the middle east. I think we all need a friendly hello now more than ever.

Pandemic hellos

In the early days of the pandemic when one of the few things we could do to get out of the house was get outside for a walk, I noticed something interesting. When I was out for my daily walks around the neighbourhood, almost everyone I saw along the way gave me a smile and a hello.

It made me wonder why we rarely do this in our daily lives. Why did it take the isolation of pandemic restrictions to inspire us to do something so basic?

Sadly, as things returned to normal after the pandemic, I saw fewer people out and about in the neighbourhood. The smiles and friendly hellos from strangers all but disappeared. World Hello Day is an opportunity to change that.

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Say hello

So, my message for today is simple. When you’re out and about, take the time to exchange a smile or wave, and a friendly hello with people you meet. Then let me know in the comments below how they reacted.