Celebrate on May 4th 2008

CELEBRATING WORLD LAUGHTER DAY ON MAY 4th 2008

MISSION: Good Health, Joy and World Peace through Laughter

World Laughter Day is customarily celebrated on the first Sunday of May every year. This year on the 4th of May, the world will once again come together to laugh and spread the word of happiness and joy.

The Laughter Clubs movement is a global initiative to unite the entire mankind through unconditional love and laughter. It is a non-religious, non-racial and non profit organization committed to generate good heath, joy and world peace through laughter.

The first Laughter Yoga club was started on 13th March in a public park in Mumbai, India. The concept is now fast sweeping the world with more than 6000 laughter clubs in more than 60 countries. This revolutionary idea has changed the lives of hundreds and thousands of people around the world and has helped them to attain a state of complete wellness.

Foundation

“World Laughter Day” was created in 1998 by Dr. Madan Kataria, founder of the worldwide Laughter Yoga movement. The first “World Laughter Day” gathering took place in Mumbai, India, in 1998. Twelve thousand members from local and international laughter clubs joined together in a mega laughter session.

“HAPPY-DEMIC” was the first World Laughter Day gathering outside India. It took place in the year 2000 in Copenhagen, Denmark where more than 10,000 people gathered at Town Hall Square. It was the largest ever gathering that laughed and bonded together and the event went into the Guinness Book of World records. Such an enthusiastic participation is proof enough that Laughter Clubs are no laughing matter.

Laughter lovers around the world are preparing with great enthusiasm for this occasion. Kindly let us know about your celebration plans about WLD as soon as possible. You can post your ideas on our blog Dr. Kataria’s diary and leave your e-mail so that we can communicate with you.

Format

The usual format of WLD celebration is the congregation of laughter club members, their families and friends at some important landmark in their city like big squares, public parks or auditoriums.

In India, people organize Peace marches and carry banners and placards such as “World Peace Through Laughter”, “The Whole World Is An Extended Family”, “Laugh For Life”, “Love & Laughter”, “Laughter Has No Language”, “Ho, Ho, Ha, Ha, Ha”, “Laugh & Make Others Laugh”, “Laughter, A Positive Energy”, “Join Laughter Club – It’s FREE!”, “I Love To Laugh”, and so on. During the Peace March all chant “Ho, Ho, Ha, Ha, Ha” with clapping and dancing, and chanting of “very good, very good, yeah!” After walking some distance, the procession stops for a while to do a few Laughter Yoga exercises (for example greeting laughter, mobile phone laughter, milk-shake laughter, etc.) and then move on.

At the end of the march, they assemble on a stage or platform where laughter leaders conduct a brief 10 min laughter session followed by reading of Dr. Kataria’s message for World Peace.

This is followed by a variety entertainment program of music, dance and laughter contests. One can organize contests with prizes like: Best laughing man / woman / child / senior, horrible singing contest, etc. Winners are those with the most infectious, natural and effortless laughter for no reason.