World Hello Day

It is our tradition that we get together on World Hello Day in Wrocław to transform a gloomy and rainy November day into a festival of goodness, sharing and friendly attitudes. The day falls on the birthday of Dwarf Życzliwek (21 November). Feel free to join us for a shared celebration and the atmosphere of mutual understanding.

Origins of World Hello Day

First mentions of friendly attitudes date back to the Antiquity. Aristotle himself elaborated on the concept of love that he defined as wishing good to others without seeking any benefit for oneself. Mediaeval Europe considered friendly attitudes to be the part and parcel of Christianity. The rule of friendship was put to use by monasteries, guilds and hospitals, which performed functions other than treatment only at the time. Until the mid-13th century, hospitals provided shelter to travellers and the elderly. Guilds were responsible for charity. For example, one goldsmith's shop was open on Sunday and the income from sales was used to help the poor.

However, Christianity is not the only religion that continues the tradition of charity. Islam and Buddhism also follow the rule of charity. Mediaeval Islam developed the rule of zakah, that is, the imperative to help the poor, dispossessed and penniless, as well as those in debt, in travel or freshly converted to Islam. Buddhism has in turn extended the concept of charity with animal care. Contemporary paragons of friendly attitudes include the clergy and lay people alike, as well as individuals and organisations that help the poor and promote charity.

The idea of World Hello Day was born in the United States of America. World Youth Day was instituted in 1973 on the initiative from the brothers Brian and Michael McCormack as a call to peace during the 1973 Arab–Israeli War. From then on, World Hello Day is celebrated on 21 November. The trend to celebrate World Hello Day in Poland has been set by no other city but Wrocław.

What is this all for?

Virtues such as being kind, accommodating and friendly seem to be undervalued in the world today. The trend produces visible and poignant results. In order to face it, we have to bear in mind that mutual respect and open attitudes bring immediate results. They make our life more rewarding while serving as an incentive to further activity. By respecting the efforts of others, we encourage others to appreciate and respect ours.

The Wrocław-born initiative is now disseminating the idea across Poland. The goal of the event is to promote friendly attitudes and encourage people to do good in a variety of areas. No other city can provide a better setting than Wrocław, which is the very symbol of open attitudes and optimism. The unique atmosphere of Wrocław brings together positive thinking, cosmopolitan views, hospitality and friendly attitudes in a thousand different forms. All you need to join us on World Hello Day is offer a smile, be kind to others and help someone selflessly. World Hello Day is a call to resist drab reality. Yes, you can! You, too, can change it. Mutual understanding is all it takes...