When people first hear about Humiliation Day, they are usually very confused by it. Is this a day during which they’re expected to humiliate other people, they might ask? Or, is it a day to humiliate themselves? These are questions people might wonder when this holiday shows up on their calendar. Fortunately, it doesn’t represent either of these ideals.

This day is observed on the 3rd of January and is designed as a day when people put their pride aside and humble themselves before their god. This is a holiday that has been observed since the mid-18th century and is one that has begun to gain a little bit of life over the past few years.

The History Of Humiliation Day

On July 20th, 1775, a proclamation recommended the observance of a day of public humiliation, fasting, and prayer for the English Colonies under King George the Third’s blessing. This declaration was distributed to all towns and townships across the colonies, and its goal was to pray for civil and religious rights and privileges for the colonies.

In 1779, General George Washington, the commander of the Continental Army, also called for a day of humiliation, fasting, and prayer for his soldiers for just one day. The tradition was continued by U.S. President John Adams in 1798. U.S. President Abraham Lincoln also advocated for a day of fasting, humiliation, and prayer to please God.

Although this holiday fell out of fashion for quite a few decades, it appears that it has once again made an appearance. It’s now a day when acts of kindness and humility are undertaken for charitable causes and not just to appease a person’s deity. In our opinion, the name of this holiday is somewhat archaic, and the day should honestly be renamed Humility Day.

Observing Humiliation Day

On this holiday, we encourage everyone to take the time to do something for a charity that they support. It doesn’t matter what charity a person chooses, or whether they volunteer their time or donate their money.

All that matters is that they place a cause above themselves for the day and do some good in the world. And while they’re doing good work, they should encourage other people to do the same by using the hashtag #HumiliationDay on social media. Let’s all come together and help those who need help on this day, as well as the rest of the year.