Can you remember a time when someone held open a door for you? Or when someone let you jump the queue when you were in a hurry? Or when you dropped your bag on the street and a passerby helped you pick up the contents? Such random acts of kindness can lift your mood, leaving you with a warm feeling that lasts all day.
a day of kindness
There is a date in the US calendar on which such gestures are particularly encouraged. 17 February is known as Random Acts of Kindness Day. The initiative serves as a reminder that these small but meaningful acts have the power to change the world. The idea is to create a more compassionate and caring society, by spreading love and positivity.
The Start of a Movement
It all started some forty years ago in the US, in the San Francisco Bay area. The phrase was coined by journalist Anne Herbert in 1982, who wrote about “random acts of kindness and acts of senseless beauty.” Herbert could not have imagined that her ideas would trigger a worldwide movement. The words were painted on walls, discussed in classrooms and written about in the media. Slowly but surely, the message spread.
RAK Day Is Born
Herbert published an illustrated children’s book on the same theme in 1993. It was received with enthusiasm by children and adults alike. Local Random Acts of Kindness Days grew into an annual celebration in the US. While the first event was funded by the book’s publisher, Conari Press, a nonprofit foundation was created in 1995 to organise future celebrations.
RAKtivism
The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation is on a mission to make kindness the norm. Besides the celebration on 17 February — the same week as Valentine’s Day — it also provides free resources for schools, workplaces, homes and communities. It encourages people to become RAKtivists (short for Random Acts of Kindness activists), who turn ordinary days into something special with small, thoughtful gestures — like a bright smile or offering a seat on the bus.
Kindness as a Way of Life
The movement gets bigger every year. Influencers share content on social media. Celebrities are judged by how kind they are to others. Corporates are eager to join in. Last year, Krispy Kreme gave out free doughnuts. It has now spread to New Zealand, where it is observed on 1 September. The ultimate goal is to make it a way of life. The foundation is hopeful: “Together, we can make the world a better place, one act of kindness at a time.”