By Afiur
April 30, 2026
Every year, World Laughter Day 2026 is observed on the first Sunday of May, and this year it will be observed on May 3 to highlight the benefits of laughing.
The first World Laughter Day was held on May 10 in 1998; it was observed by Dr Madan Kataria, who is the founder of the Laughter Yoga movement, in Mumbai.
Laughter yoga combines laughter and yoga to enjoy the benefits of laughing while doing yoga, and is a popular practice across Mumbai and India`s parks.
Dr Madan Kataria is a Mumbai-based family doctor, who was inspired to start the movement based on how a person`s facial expressions affects their mood.
Laughter yoga began as an experiment by Dr Madan Kataria on March 13 in 1995 and hasn`t stopped since them making it a worldwide movement.