Add laughter to your life,
Subtract those pessimistic thoughts,
Multiply the love for yourself,
Divide the happiness among all,
and that’s what,
The World Laughter Day is for!
Laughter is a painkiller, a stress reliever, and the cheapest medication one could afford. Indeed, it is the only effective weapon in the hands of the human race to dissolve our worries away, and that’s the prime motive to celebrate the World Laughter Day. It is internationally celebrated on the first Sunday of warm May.
Laughter is the key ingredient of the soup to heal all your woes. It is a positive vibe radiating fraternity and a magnet to good vibration. It is a priceless painkiller used by all without any limitation.
Now digging into its history, the idea of world laughter day was sown in 1998 by Dr. Madan Kataria, a family doctor in Mumbai, whose ideas are still blooming throughout the globe. He postulated the facial feedback hypothesis, which put forward the fact that our facial expressions have an impact over our emotions. This paved way to the Laughter Yoga Movement to nurture global peace and harmony.
World laughter day has also spread all over the world in order to express the love for humour and as a gratitude to a community group, commonly referred to as the ‘Laughter club’ who practice and perform intentional laughter.
It is a customary practise for people to crowd at any important landmarks of the city on world laughter day, where the laughter clubs perform stand ups and dramas for the sole purpose of laughter. People often conduct peace marches with banners and placards and chant “ha ha ha ho ho ho” throughout the march as a source of entertainment and to giggle the crowd. It has had an exponential growth over the years with plenty of laughter clubs persisting in over 105 countries across the globe.
The first ever celebrated International World Laughter day in 2000 Copenhagen, Germany holds a place in the ‘Guinness Book of World Records’ as the largest gathering of people only to laugh.
Laughter might seem quite simple, but it possesses a huge strength. Laughter is infectious, as you laugh the world laughs with you. As in 1962 Tanzania, a laughter pandemic broke out which eventually spread to other communities affecting thousands of people and a brief closure of about 14 schools.
Laughter has a dozen benefits on our physical and emotional well-being. Here are a few to remember:
* Laughter induces immune cells and antibodies in our body to fight against infectious diseases. A much-needed costless therapy during the current pandemic.
* Laughter increases blood flow and reduces the risk of cardiovascular problems.
* Laughter activates the release of endorphin, a hormone which promotes a sense of overall wellbeing and acts as a provisional painkiller. It also reduces cortisol, the stress hormone in our body.
* A study in Norway suggested that people with a good sense of humour have higher life expectancies.
* It also aids in muscle relaxation and stimulates proper functioning of all the organs of our body.
* Not a substitute for gym, but yes, laughter helps in burning calories. Laughing for 10-15 minutes a day can burn down a few calories.
* At times, nervous laughter is also used as a defence mechanism in out body to get over anxiety and fear. So, the next time you are afraid of anything make sure you laugh it away.
Finally, here are a few tips to celebrate the next World Laughter Day filled with loads of fun, smiles and a belly laugh for you and your loved ones. Need not worry, humour is inbuilt in all and considerably simpler than you think.
* Spend some quality time with friends and family, and share witty jokes with all, but make sure not to hurt anyone. A laugh at the cost of one’s sorrow is a sin.
* Take this day as an opportunity to laugh at your own fears and worries and watch them fade away. It brings out the extrovert in you and makes you much more authentic.
* Get yourself registered in a comedy club or watch a stand-up comic perform until you chuckle. Loads of people perform humorous acts, minstrel shows and a lot more. Make sure to witness them all.
* Make a gag jar, simple grab a jar and each family member gets to write jokes and dares and tosses it into the jar. At the time you have a family reunion, just grab the gag jar and giggle with all.
* The simplest way to celebrate Laughter Day for an introvert, is to binge on a comedy show with your favourite food.
Heal all your scars away with World Laughter Day. Laugh out louder every day, every hour and shine brighter as life is better with laughter. Grab a smile and change the style.
Spend some quality time with friends and family, and share witty jokes with all, but make sure not to hurt anyone. A laugh at the cost of one’s sorrow is a sin.
- Take this day as an opportunity to laugh at your own fears and worries and watch them fade away. It brings out the extrovert in you and makes you much more authentic.
- Get yourself registered in a comedy club or watch a stand-up comic perform until you chuckle. Loads of people perform humorous acts, minstrel shows and a lot more. Make sure to witness them all.
- Make a gag jar, simple grab a jar and each family member gets to write jokes and dares and tosses it into the jar. At the time you have a family reunion, just grab the gag jar and giggle with all.
- The simplest way to celebrate Laughter Day for an introvert, is to binge on a comedy show with your favourite food.
Heal all your scars away with World Laughter Day. Laugh out louder every day, every hour and shine brighter as life is better with laughter. Grab a smile and change the style.
By HALEEMA AAFRIDHA, PUDUCHERRY
