28^TH APRIL NATIONAL SUPERHERO DAY – HISTORY, FACTS, AND CELEBRATION AND HOW IT IMPACTS ONES MENTAL HEALTH

Today when I went to a nearby temple, I saw a 5-6 yrs. old child decked up in a Spiderman costume. Though the temperature was around 40 degree Celsius, still the child was in no mood to remove his Spiderman mask. All this made me smile as well as reminded me that tomorrow is “National Superhero Day”.

Each one of us had cherished Superheroes especially during childhood. Each one had their own special superhero that they have admired and had dreamt of being like them or to imbibe their qualities.  Children’s around globe, models of heroism and every child dreams of becoming like their favourite superhero, at some point or other. While you may be familiar with Batman, Superman, Spiderman or Wonder Woman as your favourite superhero, but for your child Hulk, Captain America, Thor or the Chhota Bhim may be favourite. All these are fictional superheroes; however there are people in real life, who are actual superheroes. They may not wear capes or have superpowers like fictional superheroes, but they are superheroes because of the work they do. They can be anyone from parents to teachers, to soldiers, policeman to people in judiciary etc. During Corona times we had doctors and sanitation workers as superhero because of the work they did.

 

When Is National Superhero Day Celebrated?

There’s a special day that honours them, both fictional and real-life superheroes, and that is “National Superhero Day” that is observed on 28th April every year.

Some might consider it is a bit strange to be celebrating fictional characters but these characters influence and act as role models for children around the world. They serve and protect society and mankind while fighting evil, and send out a excellent message to growing kids. While, real superheroes include people who serve and protect mankind in real life, like: the soldiers, the police, doctors, and firemen.

 

History of National Superhero Day

National Superhero Day was first celebrated in 1995, when employees of Marvel Comics asked kids about the superpowers that they’d like to have. Many people ended up talking about real superheroes in their lives that often look like normal people. The day not only celebrates fictional superheroes like Batman and Superman, but also the real ones who often rise to the occasion in times of need. These people have qualities that each and every person must strive to instill.

Why is National Superhero Day Celebrated?

Fictional superheroes inspire kids that they should do good. They do tend to inspire, either by their actions or words of wisdom. It teaches them, in the end good triumphs over evil. But there are people in real life, who do their best to protect mankind. National Superhero Day is observed to honour these superheroes. The real-life superheroes have different skills and different jobs, but their goal remains the same, to fight the evil and to serve and protect society.

Significantly, celebrating this day and notion also means accepting the fact that we don’t need to have superpowers to be a superhero. We simply need to uphold values that make us brave and drive us to protect others for good. Hence, we should celebrate this day to extend our gratitude to the brave reel and real-life superheroes. This day also gives us a chance to bring out the superhero within us.

 

What Superheroes Can Teach Us?

Superheroes represent the inspirational aspect of the human imagination. They champion good and promote the well-being of others. Apart from the action, which is usually played out with extravagant fight sequences, there remains a deeper ethical lesson, which is that we could channel our traumas in to something positive and that we always have the capacity to do good as well as do evil.

Like Bruce Wayne, the choice is ours.

 

What is Superhero Therapy?

In clinical psychology Superhero Therapy is used for the Adolescent and Children. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to help children and adults manage symptoms of depression, anxiety, trauma, substance use disorders and other mental health conditions. Superhero Therapy and ACT strive to help individuals move toward their values by learning how to accept negative and unhelpful thoughts, feelings and other distressing private experiences. Using an ACT framework, a therapist can help a patient relate to a fictional superhero, understand that superhero’s origin story and discuss how that superhero has overcome many of their own challenges (which usually include some form of mental or social problems) by taking actions toward their values.

 

Why Superhero Therapy?

Superheroes have been, and continue to be, part of our popular culture to which adults and children can connect. Superheroes give people a safe outlet to discuss struggles and challenges while indirectly processing their own difficulties. People are then less likely to feel alone, shame or guilt when they themselves feel connected to someone, even a fictional superhero, who may have dealt with something similar.

Example of a Superhero’s Struggle

One superhero whom people can relate to is the Black Panther. T’Challa, the Black Panther, is a member of the royal family in a fictional African country named Wakanda. His father is killed, and he is then made the king. While T’Challa not only has to deal with the loss of his father, he also must fight for the well-being of his people and his country. T’Challa’s army is made of strong women who also protect him and Wakanda. One of the lessons learned from T’Challa is not to give up, even when the odds are against you. Also, he teaches others that a strong, powerful man can be kind and compassionate as well.

 

How to think over your Own Superhero Growth

·       Consider your own origin story. What is the story of your life (positives and negatives) that has helped you get to the place you are in today?

·      Which superhero (real or fictional) do you feel particularly connected to? This person might have great strength and wisdom. What do you admire about them?

·       If your superhero were to show up in your life, at the exact right moment you needed someone, what is the message that they would tell you?

·       What are the values that you want to live by? What is the mission of the quest that you are on?

 

Timeline of National Superhero Day

Here is the timeline for National Superhero Day.

1. 1936

This was the year when the first superhero, Phantom, was created.

2. 1940

This was the year when the first female superhero, Fantomah, was introduced.

3. 1962

This was the year when the famous Spiderman appeared in the comic book Amazing Fantasy.

4. 1978

The big screen is taken over by superheroes with the success of Superman.

5. 1984

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles get their own comic and eventually, a movie.

 

Fun Facts about Superhero

Here are some amazing facts about superheroes that you would love to know!

1.    Did you know that the Hulk was originally supposed to be grey? Due to an error in the printing, the colour turned out to be green and that’s how we recognize the Hulk today.

2.    Captain America was first created during World War II to encourage Americans to fight for their country.

3.    The king of pop, Michael Jackson, was a die-hard fan of Spiderman. He even tried to gain rights over Marvel Comics to enact the role of Spiderman.

4.    Iron Man loves his suits and has over 50 of them designed for battles and oceans.

5.    Thor’s all-tongue superpower gives him the ability to speak every language and have everyone understand him.

6.    Thor has a power called “All-tongue”, which enables him to speak all languages.

7.    Spiderman was inspired by a fly when Stan Lee thought of superheroes that could stick to walls.

8.    Superheroes often have unique abilities or powers. Superman, for instance, can fly and has super strength, while the Flash can run at incredible speeds.

9.    Superheroes sometimes team up to form groups or teams, such as the Avengers or the Justice League, to tackle threats too big for one hero to handle alone.

 

How to Celebrate National Superhero Day with Kids?

This day is bound to get your child excited, especially if they love superheroes. And they will want to celebrate it. So, if you want to make this day terrific for your child, here are some ways in which you can celebrate National Superhero Day with your child.

1. Costume up!

The most popular way to celebrate this day with your child is by dressing up in the costume of your child’s favourite superhero.

2. Training for Superheroes

In order to be a superhero, one needs to be in the best of physical and mental health.

3. Be the Hero

The final step in this process is to actually BE the superhero. You must teach your child all the ways in which they can be an asset to society. Even the smallest effort makes a difference and kids must learn and decide how they would like to impact the world.

4. Pretending to be superheroes

5. A superhero film festival would work too!

In case you find that costumes are a bit tiresome, you can choose to have a movie marathon of superhero movies.

6. Honour the real superheroes.

You can also choose to go and thank the real superheroes like the police, the fire department or medical personnel because of all the wonderful work that they do for society.

7. Read a Superhero Comic

Comic books and novels can instantly transport us to a different world. If they feature superheroes, a day or even a week would fall short to get through the book.

Don Your Cape and Celebrate National Superhero Day

National Superhero Day is an excellent occasion to honor and appreciate our real-life and fictional superheroes. The ultimate goal is to recognize those who hold and guard us. Even better, embrace their traits of courage, selflessness, and strength and apply them in your own life.

So, together, let us take this opportunity to show our appreciation to our superheroes who make this world a better place to live in!

 

Reference:

•                     Aarohi Achwal: National Superhero Day – History, Facts, and Celebration.

•                     Extramarks: National Superhero Day 2023: What Are Some Ways To Celebrate It?

•                     Katherine Washington: What is Superhero Therapy?