World Kindness Day2026 · Date · History · Messages
The World Kindness Movement states that members plan World Kindness Day activities on 13 November each year; UNESCO MGIEP also describes the day as celebrated every 13 November.
About World Kindness Day
World Kindness Day is observed on 13 November as an international kindness campaign created by the World Kindness Movement.
It encourages practical acts of kindness and cooperation without turning participation into a religious, political or governmental requirement.
Why World Kindness Day matters
The observance focuses on everyday actions that improve how people treat one another.
A useful celebration emphasizes voluntary, respectful kindness rather than pressure, performative generosity or promises that kindness alone can solve complex social or health problems.
History of World Kindness Day
The World Kindness Movement traces its formation process to a 1997 conference in Tokyo that brought kindness organizations together.
Its official history records the launch of World Kindness Day on 13 November 1998.
UNESCO MGIEP independently describes the day as introduced in 1998 by the World Kindness Movement and celebrated every November 13.
The reviewed first-party history does not explain exactly why November 13 was selected.
How the observance developed
This timeline uses documented milestones from reviewed sources. Missing stages are left out rather than guessed.
World Kindness Movement (WKM)
WKM identifies itself as the creator of World Kindness Day.
World Kindness Movement (WKM)
WKM’s official history records the launch of World Kindness Day.
First documented observance
WKM’s official timeline records the launch of World Kindness Day on this date; UNESCO MGIEP corroborates the 1998 introduction.
World Kindness Movement (WKM)
WKM continues to maintain the global campaign and official World Kindness Day materials.
What the evidence establishes
Confirmed institutional roles and milestones are shown first. Details that could not be established from the reviewed sources are listed separately below.
5 fields not established in reviewed sources
How to Observe World Kindness Day
Do one practical act of kindness that is welcome and useful to the recipient.
Thank someone whose work or support is easy to overlook.
Support a local community effort, mutual-aid initiative or charity after checking what help is actually needed.
Keep acts respectful of privacy, consent and personal boundaries.
World Kindness Day Facts
World Kindness Day is observed on November 13.
The World Kindness Movement records its launch on November 13, 1998.
The movement’s formation process grew from a 1997 Tokyo conference of kindness organizations.
UNESCO MGIEP corroborates the 1998 introduction and annual November 13 date.
The exact reason for choosing November 13 is not established by the reviewed first-party history.
World Kindness Day Messages
Celebrate World Kindness Day with kindness that respects the other person’s needs and boundaries.
May World Kindness Day inspire generosity that continues after the calendar date has passed.
Topic and context
What this page does not assume
- Keep the source-defined country, community, organizer or institutional scope; do not silently broaden it.
- Do not treat the title alone as proof of government recognition or public-holiday status.
- Do not add a creator, founding story or origin claim unless the supporting evidence establishes it.
Evidence & sources
Sources used across the guide are gathered here. Labels show how each source supports the page, and contextual references are kept separate from primary evidence.
World Kindness Movement — official site (opens in a new tab)
World Kindness Movement — Story (opens in a new tab)
World Kindness Movement — World Kindness Day (opens in a new tab)
Founding Movement
UNESCO MGIEP — What is World Kindness Day (opens in a new tab)
Understand it, compare it, then explore further
Start with the most common factual questions, then compare closely related observances and explore useful connections.
Frequently asked questions
When is World Kindness Day?
13 November annually The documented recurrence rule is: 13 November.
Does World Kindness Day fall on the same date every year?
Yes. It uses a fixed annual date unless stronger evidence changes the pattern.
Is World Kindness Day an official public holiday?
The reviewed sources verify it within this scope: World Kindness Movement / global organizer-led observance. That recognition does not by itself make it a statutory public holiday; the site only makes public-holiday claims when reliable evidence explicitly does so.
Who established or recognizes World Kindness Day?
The reviewed sources identify World Kindness Movement (WKM) as the proclaiming or establishing body. Current facilitation or coordination is recorded as World Kindness Movement (WKM).
Is World Kindness Day international or country-specific?
The documented scope is international or global: World Kindness Movement / global organizer-led observance. That does not mean every country treats the date as a public holiday or observes it in the same way.
How is this page verified?
The factual information is checked against reviewed sources, including the date pattern, scope and institutional history. This page was checked on 2026-09-08.
When is World Kindness Day?
It is observed on November 13 each year.
Who created World Kindness Day?
The World Kindness Movement identifies itself as the creator of the observance.
When did World Kindness Day begin?
The World Kindness Movement records the launch on November 13, 1998.
Is World Kindness Day a UN-created observance?
No. UNESCO bodies may participate or publish about it, but the reviewed history attributes creation to the World Kindness Movement.
Other observances on November 13
These observances are also listed on November 13, 2026.
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