World Laughter Day 2021: History, significance and why it is celebrated The first celebration was on May 10, 1998, in Mumbai, India, and was arranged by Dr Madan Kataria, founder of the worldwide Laughter Yoga movement. Share Updated: May 2, 2021, 07:32 AM IST The first Sunday of May is celebrated as World Laughter Day and this year, it is being observed on May 2. Celebrated since 1998, World Laughter Day is an annual event celebrated to raise awareness about laughter and its many healing benefits. Humor is also a way to increase retention of information in academic or professional settings because of the higher number of mental connections between the information and emotional responses (laughter).