World Origami Days
While Japan had it’s own National Origami Day since 1980, it was not a widely known event in the rest of the world. World Origami Days is an international event started by OrigamiUSA to spread and celebrate the joy of origami through a various workshops, and local events.
What is World Origami Days?
World Origami Days is a 19-day celebration of the art of Japanese paper folding and the international community around it, which is held from October 24 to November 11. OrigamiUSA, one of the largest origami societies, declared the celebration starting in 2005.
Why World Origami Days are celebrated between October 24 and November 11
October 24 is the birthday of Lillian Oppenheimer, a towering figure in teaching people origami and bringing it to the masses in the western world in the 20th century. She authored several books, communicated and brought together many of the modern practitioners of the field, and she was a founding member of both Origami USA and the British Origami Society.
November 11 is Origami Day in Japan, also called Origami no Hi, and created to coincide with World Peace Day.
October 24 to November 11 was decided as the duration of World Origami Days to celebrate both Oppenheimer’s contribution to the field while acknowledging the long Japanese history and influence on the craft.1
How World Origami Days came to be
Image credit: OrigamiUSA
OrigamiUSA announced the suggestion of having a World Origami Day celebration on October 24 to celebrate the birthday of Lillian Oppenheimer, the founder of the organization.
On learning of this, Makoto Yamaguchi, founder of Origami House in Japan pointed out the existing Origami Day which Japan had been celebrating since 1980.
Since these two dates were not too far apart, they decided to declare the entire period between these two dates as World Origami Days, giving paper folders even more of an extended celebration (2.5 weeks) of their favourite craft.2
Lillian Oppenheimer and her love of paper folding
Image credit: OrigamiUSA
Lillian Oppenheimer was introduced to the art of paper folding in 1928 to entertain her sick daughter. But it wasn’t until 1957, when she read Robert Harbin’s book Paper Magic, that she began to look at Origami as so much more than a childish pastime.
This led to a lifetime’s involvement in the craft. She would correspond with luminaries of the art like Akira Yoshizawa, considered the father of modern origami, and she eventually began to hold lessons in her home in New York. Her activities were covered in the The New York Times in 1958, giving widespread publicity to the origami as an art form.
She called her learning group The Origami Center, which would be formalized into a non-profit in the 80s and that eventually became the current OrigamiUSA.3
Lillian would go on to co-author books on paper folding and continued to be an active proponent of origami across the world. She remained involved in the craft well into her later years.
World Origami Days is actively celebrated around the world, culminating in what is often called National or International Origami Day, the November 11 start of the whole story.
