When you ask people around the world what makes them happy, these are just some of the answers.

Seeing them happy makes me happy.

Yellow "Happiness" and arrow painted on gray brick pavement.
Photo credit: Photo by D Jonez on UnsplashHappiness is over there.

For International Day of Happiness, the United Nations released a video highlighting what it means to be happy around the world.

With more than 7 billion people on earth, there are 7 billion unique definitions of happiness.

For some, happiness takes the form of relationships with others. And for others, it’s a connection with nature, hobbies, or material possessions.


Happiness can be the weather.

It can be music.

It can be clean air and relative safety.

It can be as simple as life itself.

The point is, it’s up to each of us to figure out what makes us happy as individuals.

The theme of the third annual International Day of Happiness is connection with others. (The previous two have been “reclaim happiness” and “happy heroes.”)

See more stories of what makes others happy in the video below.

Culture

Janet Jackson’s unique song made so many laptops crash that it became a cybersecurity case

Mental Health

Yale expert shares 5 steps to rewire your brain for happiness with no weird tricks

Generations

Video shows how people spent their time each day from 1920 to 2026. It’s eye-opening.

Parenting

A Memphis news anchor fell asleep on the air. Parents everywhere came to her defense.