World Meditation Day2026 · Date · History · Messages · Quotes
A/RES/79/137
About World Meditation Day
World Meditation Day is observed on 21 December. The United Nations General Assembly created the observance to raise awareness of meditation and its potential contribution to health and well-being.
The UN frames meditation broadly as a practice found across religious, yogic, spiritual and secular traditions. The Day therefore belongs to no single belief system and should not be used to present meditation as a substitute for professional medical or mental-health care.
Why World Meditation Day matters
Meditation practices commonly use focused attention, mindfulness or other contemplative techniques to cultivate awareness, calm or clarity. People approach them for many reasons, including reflection, spiritual practice, stress management and personal well-being.
The observance can also be used to discuss the role of quiet reflection in institutions and public life. The United Nations itself has a long-standing Meditation Room at Headquarters, but the 2024 international day is a separate General Assembly action with its own resolution history.
History of World Meditation Day
Andorra, India, Liechtenstein, Mexico, Nepal and Sri Lanka formed the core group that introduced the World Meditation Day initiative through draft resolution A/79/L.27, with many additional Member States joining as sponsors.
On 6 December 2024, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the draft without a vote as A/RES/79/137 and proclaimed 21 December as World Meditation Day.
The six core-group missions organized the first World Meditation Day commemoration on 21 December 2024. The reviewed UN record establishes the date of the observance but does not give a sufficiently explicit historical rationale for why 21 December was selected.
How the observance developed
This timeline uses documented milestones from reviewed sources. Missing stages are left out rather than guessed.
Core group of Andorra, India, Liechtenstein, Mexico, Nepal and Sri Lanka
The 6 December 2024 General Assembly meeting record states that Liechtenstein introduced A/79/L.27 on behalf of Andorra, India, Mexico, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Liechtenstein as the core group of the initiative.
United Nations General Assembly
A/RES/79/137
First documented observance
The official UN concept note issued by the six core-group missions describes the 21 December 2024 event as the first World Meditation Day.
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.
4 fields not established in reviewed sources
How to Observe World Meditation Day
Organize a short voluntary meditation or quiet-reflection session that is welcoming to people with different religious and non-religious backgrounds.
Use credible health sources to distinguish evidence-supported well-being practices from claims that meditation can cure specific diseases or replace clinical care.
Explore how contemplative practices differ across cultures instead of treating all meditation traditions as interchangeable.
Create a quiet-space activity focused on attention, reflection or stress awareness without pressuring participants to disclose personal beliefs or health information.
World Meditation Day Facts
The documented calendar date for World Meditation Day is 21 December.
The General Assembly established it through A/RES/79/137 on 6 December 2024.
The initiative was introduced by a core group comprising Andorra, India, Liechtenstein, Mexico, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
The first World Meditation Day was marked on 21 December 2024.
The reviewed UN sources do not establish a precise historical reason for choosing 21 December.
World Meditation Day Messages
World Meditation Day is a good excuse to slow down, explore the topic and enjoy the people, stories or traditions connected with it.
Wishing everyone marking World Meditation Day a day filled with curiosity, creativity and meaningful discovery.
Happy World Meditation Day! May World Meditation Day invite fresh curiosity about the traditions, ideas and people connected with this occasion.
Celebrate World Meditation Day by learning something new, sharing what you enjoy and inviting someone else into the experience.
May World Meditation Day spark fresh ideas, thoughtful conversation and a little more curiosity about the subject behind the day.
World Meditation Day Quotes
“This house, dedicated to work and debate in the service of peace, should have one room dedicated to silence.”
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.
United Nations Digital Library — A/RES/79/137 (opens in a new tab)
United Nations Digital Library — draft A/79/L.27 and sponsors (opens in a new tab)
United Nations General Assembly 79th session, 48th plenary meeting (opens in a new tab)
United Nations — first World Meditation Day concept note (opens in a new tab)
United Nations — World Meditation Day (opens in a new tab)
United Nations — List of International Days and Weeks (opens in a new tab)
United Nations — Observances: who chooses them and how (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 Meditation Day?
21 December The documented recurrence rule is: 21 December.
Does World Meditation Day fall on the same date every year?
Yes. It uses a fixed annual date unless stronger evidence changes the pattern.
Is World Meditation Day an official public holiday?
The reviewed sources verify it within this scope: United Nations / international 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 Meditation Day?
The reviewed sources identify United Nations General Assembly as the proclaiming or establishing body. The proposer or originator is recorded separately as Core group of Andorra, India, Liechtenstein, Mexico, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
Is World Meditation Day international or country-specific?
The documented scope is international or global: United Nations / international 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 2026-09-05.
When is World Meditation Day?
It is observed every year on 21 December.
Who established World Meditation Day?
The United Nations General Assembly established it through resolution A/RES/79/137, adopted on 6 December 2024.
Was 21 December 2024 the first World Meditation Day?
Yes. UN material from the six core-group missions explicitly describes the 21 December 2024 commemoration as the first World Meditation Day.
Other observances on December 21
These observances are also listed on December 21, 2026.
Chester Greenwood Day
Maine law designates 21 December each year as Chester Greenwood Day, directs the governor to issue an annual proclamation, and traces the section to Public Law 1977, chapter 262.
December solstice (Northern Hemisphere winter solstice)
The U.S. Naval Observatory calculates the December 2026 solstice for December 21 at 20:50 Universal Time. USNO explains that solstices mark the beginning of summer and winter and that seaso…
National Coquito Day
Don Q Rum announced National Coquito Day as an annual December 21 observance and described the 2018 formalization of the day.
National Maine Day
National Day Calendar lists its private National Maine Day on December 21 and describes the National State Days series as beginning in 2017. Maine separately designates March 15 as Statehoo…
World Basketball Day
A/RES/77/324