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Belly Laugh Day – January 24, 2025
January 24
Belly Laugh Day is on January 24, and we’re here to help you celebrate the day in a way that will probably give you stomach cramps. Did you know that it has been more than 15 years since this day was first celebrated? Belly Laugh Day is a day to chuckle, laugh, and celebrate the good things in life. As Maya Angelou said,“ Just imagine if we laughed more frequently, if we had the unmitigated courage to touch each other, it would be just the beginning of paradise — now.”
History of Belly Laugh Day
Laughter has been a topic of interest for most philosophers and thinkers throughout history. According to the ancient Greek writer Herodotus, laughter was mainly classified into three types: “those who are innocent of wrongdoing, but ignorant of their vulnerability,” “those who are mad,” and “those who are overconfident.”
In the 20th century, Henri Louis Bergson, a French philosopher, published his work, “Laughter: An essay on the Meaning of the Comic.” Ramon Mora Ripoll in his study which was named “The Therapeutic Value of Laughter in Medicine” believed that laughter had therapeutic and healing properties and could be used to treat certain ailments in patients. He believed that it was a tool to be shared, and also realized the importance of letting more people know about the benefits of laughter on the human body.
In 2005, Elaine Helle, a professional yoga teacher, came up with the idea of Belly Laugh Day to celebrate laughter. Elaine believed that we celebrated many things in life, such as love and gratitude, but we often neglect the importance of laughter. And thus, Belly Laugh Day was born on January 24.