World Down Syndrome Day is coming up quick and deserves to be recognized for its glory and fun way of observing.

For a lot of people the first question that might come up is, what even is World Down Syndrome Day?
World Down Syndrome Day is on March 21 every year and is a global awareness day that has been officially observed by the United Nations since 2012. The goal is to help people understand and support those with Down syndrome better and in a more informed fashion.

The 21st day of the 3rd month was chosen to represent the triplication (trisomy) of the 21st chromosome which causes Down syndrome. Down syndrome is the most common chromosomal condition diagnosed in the United States with each year having about 5,700 babies born with it.

For a bit of background on Down syndrome itself, it is a condition in which a person has an extra copy of chromosome 21. Chromosomes are small “packages” of genes in the body’s cells, which determine how the body forms and functions. When babies are growing, the extra chromosome changes how their body and brain develop. This can cause both physical and mental challenges but doesn’t mean they can’t have successful lives.

Some examples of famous people with Down syndrome rocking their lives are Zack Gottsagen who starred in “The Peanut Butter Falcon,” Madeline Stuart who is widely regarded as the first professional model with Down syndrome, Tim Harris who won gold at the Special Olympics, Jamie Brewer, an award-winning actress and has been in many seasons of “American Horror Story,” and Lauren Potter who played the famous Becky Jackson in Glee are just a few in the many successful people with Down’s living among us.

Finally, and honestly the best part of this, is how to celebrate the day. The action that has become the worldwide way of expressing the day is wearing mismatched socks. This can go from wearing a white and black sock, to, if you really want to get crazy, wearing one Nike sock and one Adidas sock. This is a fun and easy way to show your support and make this day special.