If there’s one thing that science has taught us, it’s that holding on to past anger, hatred, and pain is terrible for a person’s mental, emotional, and physical health. Some people think of forgiveness as being something that benefits the person being forgiven, but that’s simply not the case.

Being able to forgive allows the victim of any transgression to gain closure and move on with their lives. And that’s why it’s important for everyone to practice forgiveness. A holiday that reminds us to do just that is called Global Forgiveness Day, and it’s observed annually on July 7th. It’s a day for all of us to reconnect with the healing power of forgiveness.

The History of Global Forgiveness Day

This holiday was founded in 1994 by the Christian Embassy of Christ’s Ambassadors (CECA) in Canada as Forgiveness Day. Although this holiday began as a local Canadian holiday, it soon spread around the world.

This is when it was rebranded as Global Forgiveness Day. It has been observed ever since by anyone and everyone embracing forgiveness as a personal choice.

The Benefits of Forgiveness

Although most people understand that they’re supposed to forgive, not a lot of people understand the benefits of forgiveness. Fortunately, we do. We’ve looked at much of the data that’s been secured by studies on the subject and have learned the following benefits of forgiveness. Let’s take a look at them below before moving on with our discussion of this holiday.

• Forgiveness leads to healthier relationships.
• It also improves the forgiver’s mental health.
• Forgiving someone can lead to less anxiety, less stress, and less hostility.
• Forgiveness can improve a person’s immune system, improve heart health, and lower blood pressure.
• Forgiveness can also improve a person’s self-esteem and help them with the symptoms of depression.

The Effects of Holding a Grudge

Holding a grudge has as many negative effects as forgiveness has positive effects. Below are some of the ways that holding a grudge can hurt a person.

• Holding a grudge can cause a person to bring anger into new experiences and relationships.
• People who hold grudges have trouble living in the present.
• Holding a grudge can cause a person to lose connections with loved ones.

Observing Global Forgiveness Day

It’s easy for people to decide that they’re going to celebrate this holiday, but it might be harder for people to actually put forgiveness into action. That’s okay. Sometimes it takes a little bit of practice to get into the habit of forgiveness.

A person can get started by making a list of people they need to forgive, by reaching out to estranged family members, and by taking other small steps toward forgiveness.