World Gratitude Day—When, Why, and How You Should Celebrate

Jump to Section

• What is World Gratitude Day?
• The Power of Gratitude
• Origin of World Gratitude Day
• Ways to Celebrate World Gratitude Day
• Gratitude Video Example
• 30 Days of Gratitude Challenge
• How to Show Gratitude Easily With Video

What is World Gratitude Day?

Every year, September 21 is World Gratitude Day, a day of thanks the whole world celebrates together. World Gratitude Day recognizes the power of gratitude to heal, energize, and transform lives for the better.

The Power of Gratitude

Gratitude has the power to transform our relationships, mood, outlook on life, and even our physical health. Happier Human breaks down the benefits of gratitude into five categories that all impact human happiness. Here are some facts and figures from Happier Human:

1. Emotional Benefits

Five minutes a day writing in a gratitude journal can increase your long-term well-being by 10%, just as much as doubling your income!

2. Social Benefits

Research reveals people who are 10% more grateful than average have 17.5% more social capital, that’s significantly better relationships and networking.

3. Health Benefits

Studies show gratitude can lower blood pressure, pain, and bad health symptoms. It can also increase energy, recovery speed, exercise time, quality sleep time, and possibly even lifespan.

4. Career Benefits

Gratitude makes you a more effective manager, networker, decision-maker, and mentor. It also increases productivity.

5. Personality Benefits

Gratitude reduces feelings of envy, strengthens optimism, boosts confidence, and helps us bounce back from stress.

The life-changing impact of gratitude is well-documented and undeniable. That is why World Gratitude Day is beyond worthy of celebration! Because it is a reminder and special occasion to practice mindful gratitude and infuse our lives with its many benefits.

Origin of World Gratitude Day

Spiritual leader Sri Chinmoy proposed the idea for World Gratitude Day in 1965 during Thanksgiving dinner at the United Nations building. That’s when he and his fellow dinner attendees pledged to celebrate gratitude in their country each year on September 21. During a special ceremony honoring Sri in 1977, a resolution was passed to officially recognize World Gratitude Day.

Ways to Celebrate World Gratitude Day

There is no wrong way to practice gratitude or celebrate World Gratitude Day.

Here are some fun ideas:

• Get together with family and/or friends for a gratitude-themed meal or event.
• Start a gratitude journal or review and share your past gratitude journal entries.
• Write and send thank you notes to people you appreciate most.
• Give someone a thank you gift (or have something delivered to them).
• Create a thank you video montage from a group to someone special.
• Challenge yourself to 30 days of gratitude (learn more about the challenge below).

The goal of the day is really to count your blessings. So, use it as an opportunity to acknowledge the things and people you are grateful for—whether they are co-workers, family members, or your favorite cookies.

Gratitude Video Example

Of the many ways to show your gratitude to others, we believe video is among the most meaningful. Here is an example of a Tribute thank you video:

30 Days of Gratitude Challenge

You can start this challenge any time, but why not kick things off on World Gratitude Day? The Tribute 30 Days of Gratitude Challenge might be the most fun and rewarding “challenge” you complete this year. 

Make a list of 30 things you are grateful for, and then set aside five minutes each day for 30 days to practice mindful gratitude. Here are just a few topics and themes to help you brainstorm for your gratitude list:

• Essentials: Home, Shelter, Food
• Loved Ones: Family, Friends, Pets
• Work: Co-Workers, Leadership, Employee Appreciation
• Service: Active Duty Military Members, Veterans, Doctors, Nurses, etc.
• Self: Your Personal Skills, Capabilities, Freedoms, Blessings, etc.

Once you have your list of 30 things you are grateful for, take five minutes each day to show gratitude however you choose. You can journal, share stories, call someone to say thanks, surprise someone with a gift—it’s all up to you. As long as you give a bit of focus to something or someone you appreciate each day, you will be glad you did!

How to Show Gratitude Easily With Video

Tribute is the most user-friendly video montage maker. In a few simple steps, you can collaborate with others, collect their videos, and use the easy video editor to bring it all together in a video for World Gratitude Day. Another option is to have our concierge service professionally edit your video for you!