Hello! Tomorrow, Nov. 21, is World Hello Day. Now on its 37th year, World Hello Day seeks to demonstrate the importance of personal communication in forging friendships and preserving peace.

The Day started out as a response to the conflict between Egypt and Israel in the Fall of 1973. Since then, World Hello Day has been observed by people in 180 countries. People around the world are urged to use the Day as an opportunity to express their concern for world peace, to hopefully motivate world leaders to use communication and dialogue for better understanding and in resolving conflicts.

A significant number of letters have been sent to the World Hello Day web site as an expression of support. Nobel Prize winners are among those who have realized the value of World Hello Day as a potent instrument for bridging gaps, broadening understanding, and preserving peace. It is an occasion that makes possible for everyone in the world to contribute to the process of peace.

Carrying the theme “Greet Ten People for Peace,” this year’s celebration hopes to draw public attention to the simple five-letter word “Hello” and its power to establish friendship among complete strangers. A simple hello, accompanied by a genuine smile possesses a certain power that can inspire hope in someone in despair or in a precarious situation, and spell a happy day for both the greeter and the object of the greeting.

But the celebration of World Hello Day need not be limited to the five-letter word. Neither should we limit our greetings and kind gestures to ten people. The Day serves as a fitting moment to rekindle old ties, especially with relatives and friends around the globe with whom we have lost touch for some time. It is also a time for establishing peace and reconciliation among peoples with whom we may have had differences and for forging new friendships with people we encounter at work and in school.

And so today, as we go about our daily routines, let us make time to greet each other, exchange pleasantries, and ignite or rekindle a genuine interest and care for one another. The more people we infect with our light spirit and warm greetings and gestures of “hello,” the better and more peaceful our world would be for all of us.