Why is World Smile Day celebrated every year on the first Friday in October?

If any day is a good day to smile, this Friday (4 October) is even more so, as it is World Smile Day, the day on which this gesture denotes good humour, and is also claimed to be beneficial to health.

The proposal came from the American artist Harvey Ball, creator in 1963 of the popular 'Smiley Face'. This famous emoji is a face in the shape of a yellow circle, with two black dots as eyes and an ellipse as a mouth. Ball came up with the idea in 1999, as he thought it would be good to dedicate at least one day a year to highlight the importance of smiling. Since then, it has been held on the first Friday in October. "Do an act of kindness. Help one person smile," was his motto.

The designer passed away in April 2001, and in his honour his son founded the Harvey Ball World Smile Foundation, which is the official sponsor of World Smile Day and which raises funds each year for various charities.

When we laugh, our body releases endorphins, which makes us feel happier, in a better mood and less stressed. Here are some of the benefits of smiling: When you smile your brain produces serotonin and endorphins which are the natural happiness hormones.

Smiling reduces stress levels. A smile will relax you and with it the people around you, favouring interpersonal relationships.

It makes you more attractive. When a person smiles, it conveys joy, positive energy and thus improves your physical appearance.

On this day, social media networks are infected with the spirit of smiling (#WorldSmileDay) and are filled with messages with gifs, photos or videos inviting us to show our best smile.