Gratitude is not just an emotion, but a transformative force in our lives. Yet, in our fast-paced world, it’s easy to overlook the simple but powerful act of practicing gratitude. World Gratitude Day is a clear reminder of that, inspiring us to focus on our blessings and give thanks to the people, resources, and experiences that enrich our lives. So, we had to ask: What is the most important information you need to know about this year’s World Gratitude Day?

👉 Official Name: World Gratitude Day
💚 Cause: Encourage people to practice gratitude and foster a culture of appreciation
📅 Next Date: September 21, 2025
🐦 Hashtags: #WorldGratitudeDay, #IAmGrateful, #BeGrateful

Keep reading to find all the important information about World Gratitude Day at a glance, including its big picture, why it’s important, and how you can get involved. We’ll then share its brief history, three interesting facts about it, its future dates, and how you’ll never miss any important awareness event again.

The Most Important Information About World Gratitude Day at a Glance

1️⃣ The big picture: World Gratitude Day honors the power that gratitude has to improve our physical health, relationships, and outlook on life. This event presents an opportunity to sit back and reflect on all the supportive things and resources in our lives, as well as all the kindness, blessings, and positivity we receive from those around us. It encourages us to express our gratitude to others and teach others about the importance and impact of being grateful. In addition, this observance seeks to raise public awareness of gratitude in order to foster long-term changes in our appreciation of life. 

2️⃣ Why it is important: Gratitude has been scientifically shown to greatly benefit our mental, social, and emotional health. It is connected to over 35 types of improvements in many areas of life. Studies suggest that giving thanks and counting blessings can help people sleep better, lower stress, and improve interpersonal relationships. In addition, gratitude has the power to boost well-being, lessen depression and anxiety, and improve heart health. Moreover, people who practice gratitude regularly have much stronger bonds with family, friends, partners, and colleagues, and have a higher degree of life satisfaction.

3️⃣ How you can get involved: You can celebrate World Gratitude Day by writing down things you are grateful for, showing gratitude toward loved ones, or giving back to causes and communities in need:

1. Write your thanks: A great way to celebrate World Gratitude Day is by writing down a sweet list of things you are grateful for. This Worksheet and this 5 Things Gratitude Tool might be a great way to start, but you can simply stream your thoughts down on paper and surprise yourself with all the things that come up for you to be thankful for. 
2. Express your gratitude: Today is a great time to reach out to the people who helped you along the way, no matter how long ago, by writing emails, notes, letters, or greeting cards. You can also express your appreciation through kind acts, like cooking a favorite meal, offering a gift, spending quality time together, or providing practical help.
3. Give back: Consider giving your time and energy to communities and causes that shaped your life or changed your perspectives. As they count their blessings, many people start empathizing with those who lack them and decide to help other people have things to be grateful for as well!

A Brief History of World Gratitude Day

When was this event established: The first idea for a World Gratitude Day came in 1965, during a United Nations dinner in Hawaii on Thanksgiving Day. There, spiritual leader and meditation teacher Sri Chinmoy suggested the idea of a global holiday to express and honor the emotion of gratitude. Each person at the dinner pledged to hold an event in their home country every year for this cause, spending the rest of the evening discussing how they might spread the word about this event. As a result, on the September equinox of 1966, many countries worldwide celebrated the first World Gratitude Day. 

How has it developed since then: From 1977 onwards, World Gratitude Day was supported by Sri Chinmoy and the Peace Meditations at the United Nations and was officially recognized as a holiday by UN authorities. In 1977, Sri Chinmoy stated about this event that it is “a day of celebration for all humanity, united by a simultaneously shared emotion, a day when the triumph of the spirit can make a world community”. In 1984, New Yorker Magazine called World Gratitude Day a “secular, global Thanksgiving”. More recently, given all the scientific studies into the power of gratitude, this observance has gained a resounding success, especially across the US. 

3 Interesting Facts About World Gratitude Day

1. Awarding gratefulness: Every year, the Board of Directors of World Gratitude Day awards someone who has done something outstanding in the spirit of Globalism. They have honored individuals like Angie Brooks Randolph, the first woman president of the UN General Assembly, Maurice Strong of Canada, and the Nobel Prize Laureate, Rene Cassin. They have also honored UNICEF and Japan, which was actually the first country to declare World Gratitude Day a national day of thanksgiving.
2. Sri Chinmoy’s accomplishments: In 1977, Sri Chinmoy composed a special song called “World Gratitude Day,” which was performed by the Meditation Group Choir and included the lyrics “Gratitude/ Is humanity’s/ First giant step.” During the same year, he was also awarded the World Gratitude Day Award by the Board of Directors, who stated that he “has enhanced the spirit of globalism with his compassion, his creativity, and his great nobility.”
3. Native American gratitude: “The Thanksgiving Address” is the central prayer and ceremony of the Haudenosaunee, a Native American tribe. This speech is given regularly to reaffirm the community’s connection with and gratitude for the natural world, emphasizing respect and appreciation for all living things.

Upcoming Dates of World Gratitude Day

World Gratitude Day is observed every year on September 21.

Never Miss an Important Awareness Event Again

Sources

• Forbes: The Science Of Gratitude: How Thankfulness Impacts Our Brains And Business
• Tribes.world: World Gratitude Day: Creating a Culture of Appreciation
• Positive Psychology: What is Gratitude and Why Is It So Important?
• Future Learn: Gratitude and happiness: the importance of being grateful
• Positive Psychology: The Neuroscience of Gratitude and Effects on the Brain
• Research.com: 35 Scientific Benefits of Gratitude: Mental Health Research Findings for 2025
• NAMICA: THE IMPACT OF GRATITUDE ON MENTAL HEALTH
• Harvard Health Publishing: Gratitude enhances health, brings happiness — and may even lengthen lives
• The Daily: Understanding gratitude: Discover the positive effects of feeling grateful
• One Infinite Life: DAILY GRATITUDE WORKSHEET
• 5 Things Gratitude Tool
• Zen Habits: 10 Great Ways to Show You’re Grateful Today
• Sri Chinmoy library: World Gratitude Day
• Sri Chinmoy: biography
• Martin’s Properties: World Gratitude Day – 21st September
• Reboot for Future: world gratitude day
• Sri Chinmoy: World Gratitude Day
• American Indian: Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address
• Dance for all people: Words Before All Else: Greetings to the Natural World