Celebrating Laughter on May 4th
Every year, on May 4th, the world comes together to celebrate the World Laughter Day. Established in 1998 by Indian physician Madan Kataria, the founder of Laughter Yoga, a practice that combines deep breathing with simulated laughter, which often turns into genuine laughter and brings real benefits.
Human Laughter: A Unique Expression
While other mammals produce sounds similar to laughter, only humans laugh at humor, as we are the only ones capable of interpreting unexpected events, like a joke or an absurd surprise, and turning them into explosive laughter.
This ability develops in early childhood. Babies begin making laughter sounds as early as five months, but it’s not until age seven that they start coordinating this response with their understanding of the world, such as laughing when someone hides and says “boo!”
Alicia Castillo Martínez, a Neuroanatomy professor at UNAM, explains that “smiling, laughing, and guffawing are not the same.” While smiling is a silent gesture, laughter involves sound and breathing, and guffawing is its most intense expression, accompanied by visible body relaxation.
Interestingly, laughter has been studied less than other human emotions. On scientific databases like PubMed, there are over 1,600 studies on fear but only about 67 on laughter.
Contagious Laughter
What is confirmed, however, is that laughter is not only social but also contagious. Thanks to our “mirror neurons,” we almost unconsciously imitate others’ laughter, strengthening bonds, easing tensions, and creating a sense of belonging. This is why we laugh more in company than alone.
Humor activates the entire brain within seconds. When we understand a joke, language, vision, emotion, and interpretation areas are engaged. Some brain structures used for speech aren’t involved in laughter: during “hee-hoo,” the tongue rests, air enters and exits, making it nearly impossible to speak at the same time. These are completely distinct breathing patterns.
Besides its pleasurable nature, laughter has significant physiological effects: it helps release stress and improves mood. However, it can also be a source of distress when it turns into ridicule. What most relaxes—laughing together—can also hurt the most: being laughed at.
And yes, other animals “laugh,” for example, rats emit high-frequency squeaks while playing or receiving tickles. But no other living being laughs because they understood a double entendre or found something absurd, as this capacity remains uniquely human.
Key Questions and Answers
- What is World Laughter Day? Celebrated annually on May 4th, it was established in 1998 by Dr. Madan Kataria to promote laughter as a form of exercise and stress relief.
- Why is human laughter unique? Humans are the only ones who laugh at humor, interpreting unexpected events and turning them into laughter. Other mammals produce sounds similar to laughter but don’t understand humor.
- How does laughter affect us? Laughter is contagious, activates the entire brain, and has physiological benefits like stress relief. However, it can also be a source of distress when used to ridicule others.
- Is laughter a uniquely human trait? While other animals “laugh,” no other living being laughs because they understood a double entendre or found something absurd, as this capacity remains exclusively human.
