World Origami Day on November 11 honours Japanese paper-folding and Akira Yoshizawa

Origami, the art of folding paper into many kinds of figures, is regarded as a remarkable craft. World Origami Day is marked with great enthusiasm on November 11 every year. The day is not limited to a game of folding paper. It is also a major celebration of Japan's rich cultural heritage and creativity.

In this art, striking and lifelike shapes are made from plain paper without scissors or glue. The art is growing rapidly in popularity across the world. Calming to the mind, it is no longer only a form of entertainment. It has also become an important part of education and mental health.

The word origami is formed from two Japanese words. Of these, "oru" means to fold, and "kami" means paper. As for history, Buddhist monks from China brought the art of papermaking to Japan. Different methods of folding paper began to develop in Japan from then on.

In the beginning, the art was confined to the upper classes of Japanese society and to religious rituals. With time it reached ordinary people. Origami is the making of animals, birds, flowers and many other things from a plain square sheet of paper, using only the skill of the fingers and folds, without cutting.

For any art to become great, it needs a master artist. The historic credit for giving origami international recognition goes to the renowned Japanese artist Akira Yoshizawa. He created thousands of new designs and models in his lifetime.

Because of the Yoshizawa-Randlett system he developed, it became easy for people around the world to understand origami methods on paper or in books. Through this invaluable contribution, origami ceased to be a mere handicraft and won respect as a high fine art. The day is observed worldwide on November 11 in memory of his birthday.

In today's hectic and stressful life, origami is proving to be not just an art but a therapy for the human mind. When a person or a small child folds paper into a shape, their whole attention stays on that task. This rapidly builds patience, concentration, the ability to judge things and creativity in children.

These days, schools around the world hold special origami workshops and competitions for children's intellectual development. While folding paper, the mind gets a kind of rest, which helps reduce depression and stress. The day inspires people to find limitless possibilities even in simple and limited means.