Random Acts of Kindness Day in the USA Date in the current year: February 17, 2024

The term “random act of kindness” is believed to have been coined by Anne Herbert in the early 1980s. A random act of kindness is a selfless act performed by a person or people wishing either to cheer up or assist another person or people.

What can be qualified as an act of kindness? A suspended coffee can be a good example. A person pays for two cups of coffee but consumes only one. The second cup is served for free to anyone who inquires whether there is a suspended coffee. The Free Hugs Campaign is another example of a random act of kindness: sometimes a good old hug is all a person needs to cheer up.

In New Zealand, Random Acts of Kindness day has been celebrated since 2005. It is unclear when exactly it was brought to the United States, but here it is observed on February 17. On this day, people are encouraged to do something kind to another person, be it a friend or a total stranger.

Every year, various organizations and individuals launch Random Acts of Kindness campaigns to challenge people to do good deeds and be kind to one another every day rather than once a year.