Imagine a world where everyone puts in a little bit of effort to spread some kindness to friends, family members, co-workers, and even complete strangers. How incredible would that world be? While we might not be able to fully realize this “ideal world,” we can take steps to make it a little bit better.

And one of the ways we can do that is by observing Random Acts of Kindness Week. This holiday week falls during the week of February 17th and encourages people to make the world a better place by doing something kind for someone else.

The History of Random Acts of Kindness Week

Although we’re unsure who officially started this holiday, we do know that it has its origins in the 1980s. This is when Anne Herbert coined the phrase “practice random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty” in 1982. Since then, the term has been used as a blueprint for what people should be doing. Some people have evidently taken this philosophy to heart, and now there’s a whole week dedicated to spreading random acts of kindness throughout humanity.

Observing Random Acts of Kindness Week

As the name of this week suggests, it’s all about spreading random acts of kindness throughout the world. Doing nice things for people can create a positive ripple through society that helps more and more people. And that’s not even mentioning the fact that doing nice things for people makes a person feel better about themselves.

An added benefit for those spreading the kindness. While spreading kindness, don’t forget to inspire other people to do the same by using the hashtag #RandomActsOfKindnessWeek on social media. Let’s all come together during this holiday week and see if we can make the world a better place one random act of kindness at a time.