People are encouraged to greet at least ten people on Thursday (21/11): strangers, neighbours and community members. It’s also an opportunity to practice saying hello in different languages.

Here are a few activities for the day:

• Call old friends. If you haven’t spoken to someone from high school or your varsity days, today is the perfect opportunity because we all get busy and preoccupied with our daily tasks making it hard to keep in contact so why not make the first move?

• Greet others with enthusiasm. Greet strangers with a smile, wave or simply say Hello to the person standing next to you while in a shop, spreading positivity is contagious and will at least make the next person smile.

• Learn greetings in different languages. In South Africa we have 12 official languages, why not try learning five of them today? You can do this by asking a colleague or friend who speaks one of them to teach you. Download an app that teaches languages or make google translate your friend for the day.

The theme for this year’s World Hello Day is “Greeting for peace”, encouraging people to make peace where there is tension in their relationships and to create a harmonious environment.

• Foster global unity. This day assists with connecting people from different nationalities, countries, cultures, and backgrounds to foster a sense of unity.

• Encourage dialogue. This day also serves to remind us that with proper communication issues can easily be resolved.

• Celebrate human connection. It emphasises the importance of making connections with one another and what impact a greeting can have on someone.

If you haven’t spoken to a friend or family member in a while due to an argument or disagreement, maybe today is the perfect time to say hello.

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