World Emoji Day: Embracing the Universal Language of Pictures

Every July 17th, people worldwide unite to celebrate World Emoji Day, a unique occasion dedicated to the symbolic icons that have become an integral part of our digital communication. These expressive images enable us to convey emotions, ideas, and messages, breaking through barriers and borders.

Before emojis, emoticons - simple keyboard character combinations - were used to express emotions in text-based conversations. However, emojis revolutionized this concept. The term "emoji," originating from Japan, roughly translates to "picture word." It was first created in 1990 by Shigetaka Kurita while working for the Japanese telecom company NTT Docomo. Kurita's intention was to make pagers more appealing to teenagers by designing these charming picture words.

Emojis truly took off in 2007 when Apple launched the first iPhone with an emoji keyboard, initially targeting the Japanese market. However, users worldwide quickly embraced this hidden feature, turning emojis into a universal language of expression.

With over 1800 emojis available, they cover various subjects beyond emotions, including transportation, food, animals, social platforms, weather conditions, and more. Emojis have evolved into a comprehensive visual language, effectively communicating a myriad of ideas and concepts.

Celebration emojis hold a special place among the diverse collection. Designed to express excitement and joy, they allow us to share happiness on numerous occasions, from welcoming a new baby to celebrating anniversaries or birthdays. According to the National Day Calendar®, we can "Celebrate Every Day®" in true emoji style by carefully selecting 

emojis.

World Emoji Day encourages people to embrace the charm of these tiny pictures and explore their vast diversity. To participate, individuals are encouraged to send emojis to friends and family, and discover the delightful reactions they evoke. Social media plays a significant role in the festivities, with users sharing their favorite emojis and experiences using the hashtag #WorldEmojiDay.

The first World Emoji Day was celebrated in 2014 and was started by Jeremy Burge, the creator of Emojipedia. Interestingly, even before the celebration started, July 17th had a special meaning in the emoji community. Its association with this happy day was further cemented by the fact that it served as the official release date of the enduring red and black Apple calendar emoji in 2002.

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