The belly dance is a dance that originated in Egypt but is now known around the world. Also known as Raks Baladi or Raqs Sharqi, this form of dance features the dancer moving their hips and lower torso extensively. It’s a dance style that’s practiced in different ways with various kinds of dress all around the world.

Nowadays, belly dancing is largely associated with the Middle East, but it has become popular in North America, Europe, and even Australia. This is why an international holiday is observed to celebrate this dance. This holiday is known as World Belly Dance Day and is observed on the second Saturday of May.

The History of World Belly Dance Day

Belly dancing as an art form has been long practiced in the Middle East. Although it’s not specifically named until much later, the motions associated with it have been found in ancient Roman and Greek manuscripts.

European travelers would spread the word about these dances, and by the 18th and 19th centuries, belly dancing was known extensively in Europe. Even though we’re not entirely sure when World Belly Dance Day was initially created, we do know that it was created by Lydia Tzigane to promote the idea of belly dancing.

And that’s all we know about the creation of this holiday. As time goes by, we do hope to find out more about this holiday, but until we do, we’ll continue to search for the details of this holiday.

Observing World Belly Dance Day

On this day, people are encouraged to take the time to learn more about belly dancing, watch belly dancing performances on the Internet, or even take the time to learn how to belly dance themselves. People can also spread the word about this holiday and their love of belly dancing by using the hashtag #WorldBellyDanceDay on social media.