To reclaim control, World Smile Day was declared a federal holiday in 1999. Simple but powerful celebration elements included encouraging people to smile and perform modest deeds of goodwill all throughout the world. Harvey wished to preserve the human element of the smile. You would grin as a result, making someone else smile and brightening their day in return.
World Smile Day (October 6) is a relatively new holiday with an intriguing backstory. It falls on the first Friday of October. This day was created by commercial artist Harvey Ball in reaction to his invention of the happy face. Harvey was concerned that the symbol's significance would be diminished by its commercialization. He probably had a high opinion of the sign because it has been used on so many different things, such clothing, comic books, coffee cups, pins, and more. These tiny yellow faces make a statement about the power of smiling rather than just serving as a sign.
