World Dream Day is a holiday that’s observed annually on the 25th of September. It’s a day to celebrate dreams and the important role they play in our lives. Dreams not only have symbolic meaning for many people, but they are also an important mechanism for the brain to process daily thoughts and experiences, transferring them from temporary memory to long-term memory.

It’s believed that dreams help store important memories and facts while sorting through complex feelings and thoughts. Although they may seem mystical to many, dreams are very important to how we perceive the world and what we retain from our experiences. And that’s reason enough for people from around the world to observe this holiday.

The History of World Dream Day

Okay, we have to admit that this holiday wasn’t originally established to deal with the dreams that we have while we’re sleeping. Instead, it was conceived as a way to encourage people to work towards and actually achieve their dreams—also known as their personal goals.

It was created by Ozioma Egwuonwu, an instructor at Columbia University, in 2012. Over the years, the original intent of this holiday began to change somewhat as more and more people used it as a day to not only pursue their personal goals but also to interpret their dreams.

Therefore, we believe that this holiday can be observed in either way. Some people might want to think about the metaphysical nature of dreams, while others might want to work on achieving their personal dreams.

Some Fast Facts About Dreams

As we continue our discussion of World Dream Day, allow us to take a few moments to list some fast facts about dreams. We think the following facts are entertaining, educational, and perfect for people to share with friends and family members on this holiday. Let’s check them out!

• Most vivid dreams occur during REM sleep.
• People are more likely to remember dreams on their days off when they sleep in because they experience more REM sleep.
• Most people’s dreams are visual with very little sound.
• About 12% of people dream only in black and white instead of color.
• The less stress a person experiences, the happier their dreams tend to be.

Observing World Dream Day

As mentioned in the history section of this holiday, this day can be observed by pondering the metaphysical nature of dreams or by pursuing personal dreams. Either approach is satisfactory for observing this holiday.

No matter how one decides to celebrate this holiday, they can take the time to spread the word about it online using the hashtag #WorldDreamDay to let everyone else know about it. We find that acceptable, and we think others would as well.