May 3 is the international day for laughter

World Laughter Day continues to spread across the globe, with events planned in dozens of countries.

Laughter is good for you. The old saying, “Laughter is the best medicine,” has now been backed up by scientific and unscientific research.

So many people ascribe to the healthy benefits of regular laughter that there are group laughing sessions scheduled in parks across the country, and internationally. In Seattle, Wash., people meet each Friday at 8 a.m. at Harborview Medical Center to share a laugh.

Laughter even has its own day. World Laughter Day is Sun., May 3. The day was launched in 1998 in Mumbai, India, by Dr. Madan Kataria, founder of Laughter Yoga. People who have discovered the benefits of laughter hope it will evolve into a worldwide “happy-demic” that will foster peace.

If it’s been a while since you laughed, you may need some help to get started before you venture out to infect others with your cheeriness. To get the pump primed, try reading Christopher Buckley’s irreverently insightful novel, “Supreme Courtship.” The book is particularly timely since there is at least one seat waiting to be filled at the real court. Or watch “Snow Dogs,” a movie starring Cuba Gooding Jr. about a Miami dentist who inherits a team of sled dogs in Alaska. Silliness can help adjust your attitude in a nurry and make it easier to laugh.

Then get out and enjoy a laughter event near you, or start your own and see if you can infect someone.