Origami Day- It's all about the art of paper folding

What will you do if you have a scrap of paper? No writing tools, no scissors, no glue, and all you have is just a piece of paper! Few would give up: "I better throw it away..." But the curious workaholics won't stop fidgeting their fingers unless they end up with "I made it!"


How do these weirdos find a paper cool? Sounds eccentric?

Who doesn't love the magic of turning a piece of paper into something pretty? I find it the most exciting of all paper crafts for 2 reasons:

• I enjoy making these stuffs. Yeah, it needs patience, concentration and a good mood. If you stick to these conditions, you would definitely love them. Origami is an inexpensive hobby you can have.
• The most sarcastic part of all- I don't need to search for glue, scissors or any but a single piece of paper. I do not need to curse my breathe for not arranging my cupboard properly, mom's same-old-rebuke or sister's lame jokes at that scenario...

As you know, origami is fascinating, that one square of paper turned into so many things. It's not about just a blank paper. It gives you the world of imagination- a medium to increase dexterity of hands,and the first step towards engineering. 

Origami is the art of paper folding, which is often associated with Japanese culture. In modern usage, the word 'origami' is used as an inclusive term for folding practices, regardless of their culture of origin. The goal is to transform a flat square sheet of paper into a finished sculpture through folding and sculpting techniques.

Today, I wish I could share you the benefits of origami in this post. Starting with a quote:

   " This paper will no doubt be found interesting by those who take an interest in it." - John Dalton

It is said that John Dalton, a British scientist known for his famous scientific paper Dalton's Atomic Theory, used to make origami when he's bored.                                                                                                 

In a nutshell, origami is good for you as it develops eye-hand coordination, sequencing skills, logical reasoning, spatial skills, memory and the things that most of you don't have- patience and attention skills. Origami develops your fine motor skills and mental concentration. When both the hands are used at the same time, it stimulate your brain and neuron connection is being improved.

• It helps children in dexterity, especially in case of children with difficulties in learning such as ADHD, dyslexia, dyscalculia and so on.
• Origami allows us to understand the concept of sequencing. In simple terms, a phenomenon of starting a step of folding, building it up and leading to the other step through understanding.
• Origami is all about instructional reading and hence, it is helpful for people to follow the instructions patiently.
• It also empowers us in creating and achieving something new. For example, if a kid is able to create a thing out of a plain paper, it gives a heart of courage and a feeling of achievement.
• It improves behavioral skills: Origami is a good example of schematic learning through repeatable actions. For many, this method of learning engenders a patience that leads to the ability to focus and increase self-esteem.
• It paves a bridge to Mathematics, especially geometry. If you unfold the origami, you can see the symmetry in the crease patterns. It helps the kids to learn concepts such as basic geometry, 3D modelling, fractions and proportions.
• It also helps in creating well being and social skills: patience, cooperative learning, sense of achievement and joy in the finished product, and community building.
• People tend to explore different cultures: Origami is associated with Japanese culture. By paper folding, people gain appreciation of Japanese culture, thus it leads to a doorway to further exploration.

Celebrating Origami Day:

Is there any background behind this auspicious day? Indeed, yes!

It's the birthday of Lillian Oppenheimer, the founder of the first origami group in the USA. She also was known for creating the British Origami Society and Origami USA. 

So if you love the art of folding paper and creating beautiful creations from paper, cloth, or anything that will hold a crease, this day is for you.

"When you fold a piece of paper, you are essentially changing the memory of that piece."- Eric Demaine in Between the Folds.

This day is important one for all you paper folding fanatics. The happy news is that there is no age restrictions for taking origami as your hobby unless you have the interest.

Not a Candle:

Traditionally, it was believed that if one folded 1000 origami cranes, one's wish would come true. It has also become a symbol of hope and healing during the challenging times. As a result, it has become popular to fold 1000 cranes.

 A popular version of the story Sadoko and the Thousand Paper Cranes is that Sadako Sasaki fell short of her goal of folding 1000 cranes. having folded only 644 before her death, and that her friends completed 1000 origami cranes and buried them all with her.

The Children's Peace Monument is a monument for peace to commemorate Sadako Sasaki and the thousands of child victims of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.

Time for you to take a scrap of paper...

Hashtag:

#OrigamiDay