National Chicken Soup for the Soul Day Date in the current year: November 12, 2024

Chicken Soup for the Soul is an American self-help and consumer products company best known for its book series of the same name, which features inspirational stories about the lives of ordinary people. It was started by two motivational speakers, Mark Victor Hansen and Jack Canfield, who compiled 101 inspirational stories told to them by their audience members into a book. They called their book Chicken Soup for the Soul because chicken soup is a common comfort food that is often used as a home remedy for the sick.

Hansen and Canfield’s book was initially rejected by major publishers, but was eventually accepted by HCI, a small Florida-based publisher that first came to prominence in the publishing industry in 1983 with Janet Woititz’s Adult Children of Alcoholics, establishing itself as a pioneer in the self-help genre. The first book in what would become the Chicken Soup for the Soul series was published in 1993 to a great success.

Inspired by the success of the first book, Hansen and Canfield published several sequels. Over time, the series has expanded to include books for specific demographics: teens and preteens, seniors, African Americans, adoptees, cancer survivors, caregivers, animal lovers, parents, children, siblings, grandparents, teachers, children with special needs, Christians, entrepreneurs, menopausal women, people who are grieving, recovering addicts, volunteers, veterans, and many others.

In the more than three decades since the first book was published, Chicken Soup for the Soul has become one of the most successful publishing franchises in the world. The series consists of over 275 titles that have been translated into more than 40 languages and have sold more than 500 million copies worldwide. The company has also branched out into television programming (an anthology series based on the books aired in 1999-2000) and consumer products.

It is unclear who came up with the idea of celebrating National Chicken Soup for the Soul Day, but the holiday seems to have been around for more than two decades. Its main purpose is to encourage people to change their lives for the better by being inspired by the stories of others, just as the Chicken Soup for the Soul books do.

There are many ways to celebrate this wonderful holiday. You can pick up a Chicken Soup for the Soul book, share an inspiring story with someone who is struggling and needs your support, do something wholesome, watch a movie with an uplifting message, perform a random act of kindness, attend a motivational talk or watch motivational videos on YouTube, or simply enjoy a bowl of warm chicken noodle soup to make your day a little bit better. And don’t forget to post some of your inspirational stories on social media using the hashtag #ChickenSoupForTheSoulDay to help spread the word about the holiday.