World Compliment Day

World Compliment Day is March 1st

World Compliment Day is celebrated annually on March 1. As opposed to holidays such as Valentine’s or Mother’s Day, World Compliment Day abstains from commerciality, focusing instead on two basic human needs: recognition and appreciation. World Compliment Day is about creating, as the official website puts it, ‘The Most Positive Day in the World.’

History of World Compliment Day

World Compliment Day, founded in 2011, is the invention of a group from the Netherlands, spearheaded by Hans Poortvliet, a recognition specialist. The intention behind the holiday is for people to show genuine appreciation to others. “A sincere and personal compliment,” says Poortvliet, “costs nothing, but the impact on the recipient is huge.” Unlike other holidays, acknowledgment on World Compliment Day is given not with gifts, but with words. It’s about fostering happiness on others through kindness and caring comments.

More On Compliments

Compliments are a powerful tool. They can reaffirm and boost an individual’s morale. A well meaning compliment can enhance work performance, relationship positivity, social interaction, and increase general happiness. Recent research has also found that our brain’s register compliments similarly to receiving money! To our brains, a compliment is as good a social reward as cash. The striatum, or corpus striatum, the part of our brain that regulates cognition, reward and reinforcement, sleep, and coordinated movements, is activated when a person receives a compliment or money. The catch? The compliment has to be legit. False flattery can have an adverse effect, undercutting the positive impact of compliments. So mean what you say and say what you mean.

How To Celebrate World Compliment Day

Pay at least three people you know a real, honest-to-goodness compliment. You can do this in person or via social media. Make sure to tag #complimentday on your messages and posts to promote World Compliment Day. Be honest and truthful. Seek out the folks who you feel deserve the extra attention and pay it forward. Words hold power. Use yours responsibly.