Does your day begin with replying to 'good morning' messages with a smiley or a thumbs up? In the times when emoticons and emojis have become a part of our lives and social media usage, you can't stay clueless about 'World Emoji Day.' Wait, are you asking when is the day celebrated? July 17 marks a global celebration of emoji since 2014.
Emoji is the blend of two Japanese words: picture and letter. How and when did emojis take birth? Shigetaka Kurita is considered to be the founding father of today's emojis. It was in the late 90s that NTT DOCOMO, a Japanese cell phone company, released a set of 176 emojis for mobile phones and pagers.
Thus, most emojis go by their Japanese meaning attached to it, despite some of us use it in our own ways and connotations. Take a look at some of the emoji and what they actually mean originally as derived from the Japanese culture.
Monkey covering the face emoji
How we use: Aww, blushing!
What it really means: I see no evil. This See-No-Evil monkey has hands covering his eyes, as part of the proverb ‘see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil’.
Dancing girls
How we use: We often use this emoji to express excitement within a group of girls.
What it really means: Those twin girls wearing bunny years represents the Japanese concept of ‘Bunny girls’, or in simple terms ‘Playboy bunnies’.
Dancing girl
How we use: Party!!!
What it really means: Dancer
Praying hands or hi-fi?
How we use: When we seriously hope something goes our way, we use these praying hands.
What it really means: The emoji is said to be a hi-fi when two people greet. Originally, it meant an apology.
Red face devil
How we use: I am freaky!
What it really means: Japanese ogre, a legendary monster
Hands on the head girl
How we use: To express shock, embarrassment or in an ‘oh my god’ situation.
What it really means: Since the girl has her hands on her head, it means she has converted herself into a human symbol of ‘ok’. The Japanese use this symbol whenever they want to write ‘ok’.
Air Blow
How we use: Fart
What it really means: Driving there at a speed
Shooting Star
How we use: We use the emoji as a shooting star to express magic.
What it really means: It is not a star at all. The emoji indicates ‘dizziness’.
Open palms
How we use: To usually say ‘Stop it’
What it really means: In Japanese culture, these open palms represent a hug.
Teardrop face
How we use: To express that we are feeling sad and can shed a tear.
What it really means: It is a sleepy drool face, another sleeping emoji. The tear on the face is actually a dribble.
