POLOKWANE – The day might be almost over, but it is never too late to say hello. Whether it is a loved one, a colleague or anybody you know or even don’t know, just wave and say hello. The reason being is today is officially World Hello Day.
With 11 official languages in South Africa, saying hello is much more fun.
How to say hello in South African:
- Sanibonani (isiZulu)
- Molo (isiXhosa)
- Hallo (Afrikaans)
- Thobela (Sepedi)
- Dumela (Setswana)
- Lumela (Sesotho)
- Abusheni (Xitsonga)
- Sanibona (SiSwati)
- Avuwani (Tshivenda)
- Salibonani (isiNdebele)
- Hello (English).
World Hello Day may sound quite basic, as it encourages persons to take the opportunity to simply greet people, and to recognise how important simple communication is in your daily lives. The story of how it came to be, however, is a long and interesting one.
World Hello Day was created in 1973 to show people, especially the people of the Middle East, that conflicts can and should be resolved through communication, and not through violence.
The idea is that clear, honest communication can create peace. In the 1970’s, the conflict between Egypt and Israel was quite severe, and many people began to fear yet another huge war would end up coming of it. World Hello Day was in fact created as a direct response to the Yom Kippur War that had just finished in October of 1973.
The peace discussion at the end of the war was the first time that Arab and Israeli officials met for direct public discussion in 25 years. The concept of World Hello Day was created by Brian McCormack, a PhD. Graduate of Arizona State University, and Michael McCormack, a graduate of Harvard.
Over the last 42 years since its creation, World Hello Day has been celebrated in 180 countries, as citizens of each of these countries take advantage of this time to express their concerns for world peace.
Thirty-one winners of the Nobel Peace Prize have stated that World Hello Day carries substantial value as an instrument for preserving peace, and as an occasion that makes it possible for anyone in the world, individual, organization or government, to contribute to the process of creating peace.
Participating in World Hello Day is quite simple. All you need to do is say hello to at least ten people. This is supposed to send a message of openness and goodwill to others, and the creators of the holiday hoped this small gesture alone would demonstrate how communication can be instrumental in resolving disputes and preventing conflicts.
Have you said Hello today?
