A young boy holding a branch
Photo Credit: poco_bw/iStock/Getty Images

International Day of Charity

“The first question which the priest and the Levite asked was: ‘If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?’ But…the good Samaritan reversed the question: ‘If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?”
―Martin Luther King Jr.

On every 5th day of September, the International Day of Charity is observed with the purpose to raise awareness and provide a common platform for charity-related activities all over the world for individuals, charitable, philanthropic, and volunteer organisations for their purposes on the local, national, regional and international level.

The International Day of Charity, which promotes charitable efforts made to alleviate poverty worldwide, is a United Nations observance day thus it is not celebrated as a public holiday. The UN decided to recognize this day and contribute towards the efforts of charitable organisations and individuals as they were concerned with the problems that exist in all countries. This is regardless of their economic, social, and cultural situation.

In 2013, the world celebrated the first International Day of Charity, after September 5th was designated as the day to observe it by the UN on 17th December 2012. The 5th of September date, which the UN picked up to celebrate the International Day of Charity is also the anniversary of Mother Mary Teresa Bojaxhiu’s death. She was a woman of great faith and unmatched charitable donation. In her honour, the Hungarian Parliament and Government established this important day in 2011.

After the United Nations picked up on this observance day, there was an aim to recognize even the work of Mother Teresa and to highlight the power of charity in alleviating humanitarian crises and human suffering. Critical goals established by the UN help guide the charitable works we should engage in – these are people, planet, prosperity, peace, and partnership. On September 5 we can honour the work of Mother Teresa by experiencing the joy of charitable giving ourselves!

Here are a few ways to celebrate the International Day of Charity:

  1. Donate funds to charity
  2. Volunteer
  3. Attend a charity event
  4. Practice kindness and generosity