World Laughter Day 2020: History, Date, Inspirational Quotes, Celebration Amid The Coronavirus Pandemic

Amid these testing times, there is nothing like a good lauhg to deal with the stress and anxiety that has build up all around. As the world deals with the deadly coronavirus pandemic and its effects, a dose of laughter can keep up the spirits.

World Laughter Day 2020: Date

The annual World Laughter Day is celebrated on the first Sunday of May. This year, it falls on May 3.

The World Laughter Day is celebrated to raise awareness about the healing benefits of laughter.

World Laughter Day 2020: Origin

The World Laughter Day was first celebrated May 10, 1998, in the Indian city of Mumbai by Dr. Madan Kataria, the founder of Laughter Yoga movement. In the U.S., World Laughter Day was first celebrated in Los Angeles in 2005.

World Laughter Day amid the COVID-19 pandemic

COVID-19 cases continue to rise across the world, adding to tension and fear in people's minds. The lockdown that keeps people inside homes, and the uncertainities related to the reopening, have not helped. World Laughter Day falls squarely in the middle of this depressing period, offering a glimmer of hope and laughter amid the despair and sadness.

In a 1990 study published in Psychological Reports, researchers studied the benefits of humor in reducing threat-induced anxiety.

Researchers told 53 undergraduate students that they will get an electric shock after an anticipatory period. The subjects listened to a humorous tape, a non-humorous tape, or no tape during the waiting period.

They found that the group that listened to the humor tape reported that their anxiety level dropped during the waiting period.

A 2017 study published in the Journal of Dental and Medical Research showed a decrease in blood pressure in its subjects after they have had a good laugh.

With people stuck in lockdown conditions, watching a comedy movie or a standup special can lighten the mood and fill the home with laughter and joy.

World Laughter Day 2020: Inspirational quotes

1. “When you awaken love and laughter in your life, your mind lets go of fear and anxiety, and your happy spirit becomes the healing balm that transforms every aspect of your human experience.” - Jesse Dylan
2. “A day without laughter is a day wasted.” - Charlie Chaplin
3. “Nothing feels as good to me as laughing incredibly hard.” – Steve Carell
4. “We don’t laugh because we’re happy – we’re happy because we laugh.” – William James
5. “Laughter is a sunbeam of the soul.” – Thomas Mann
6. “There is little success where there is little laughter.” – Andrew Carnegie
7. “A hearty laugh gives one a dry cleaning, while a good cry is a wet wash.” – Puzant Kevork Thomajan
8. “If you would not be laughed at, be the first to laugh at yourself.” – Benjamin Franklin
9. “You’re only given a little spark of madness. You mustn’t lose it.” – Robin Williams
10. “Against the assault of laughter, nothing can stand.” – Mark Twain
11. “Everybody laughs the same in every language because laughter is a universal connection.” – Jakob Smirnoff
12. “A good laugh is sunshine in the house.” – William Thackrey
13. “Life is worth living as long as there's a laugh in it.” – Lucy Maud Montgomery
14. “Always laugh when you can. It is cheap medicine.” – Lord Byron