World Emoji Day

World Emoji Day History

World Emoji Day is an annual celebration that pays tribute to the power and impact of emojis in our everyday digital communication. The observance aims to promote the use of emojis and recognize their ability to bridge language barriers, expressing emotions, and adding nuance to written messages. With billions of emojis being sent daily across various platforms, they have become an essential part of modern communication and culture.

While the origins of World Emoji Day are relatively recent, having been established by Emojipedia founder Jeremy Burge in 2014, its significance extends globally, including New Zealand. Emojis have played a crucial role in connecting people across cultural and linguistic divides. For Kiwis, this is relevant as New Zealand is a diverse and multicultural nation where meaningful communication is key to inclusiveness and maintaining harmonious relationships. The Observance encourages New Zealanders to appreciate how emojis have facilitated communication.

In New Zealand, World Emoji Day is observed by sharing emoji-focused content and engaging in discussions on the impact of emojis in everyday life. Companies and organisations hold events and workshops that delve into various aspects of emoji usage, from art and design to matters of accessibility and representation. World Emoji Day is observed annually on July 17th. On this day, New Zealanders join the worldwide community in appreciating the ubiquitous presence of emojis in our digital lexicon.

World Emoji Day facts

• According to worldemojiday.com, the first phone known to contain emojis was the SkyWalker DP-211SW. It was a mobile telephone manufactured by J-Phone in 1997. It supported a set of 90 emoji.
• Emojis are used by 92% of the online population daily.
• As emojis have become an intricate part of everyday communication, some schools in New Zealand have started teaching students the importance of using emojis appropriately in online communication and understanding their meanings.
• According to a study by SwiftKey, New Zealanders were found to use party-themed emojis, like the wine glass 🍷 and beer mug 🍺, more frequently compared to other countries. They also ranked high in the use of ocean-related emojis, such as the surfer 🏄 and the fish 🐠.

In the News and Trending in NZ for World Emoji Day

Top things to do in NZ for World Emoji Day

• Use emojis today. Whoever you text or message today, be sure to add in some emojis. They may even respond with some of their own.
• Listen to Jonathan Mann's World Emoji Day Anthem. It is a fun tune written and produced by Mann that celebrates emojis.
• Take a photo with Haka emoji at a traditional Maori cultural performance.
• Capture the beauty of New Zealand's beaches like Piha, Hot Water Beach, or Abel Tasman National Park using the beach and ocean emojis: '🏖️' and '🌊'