Good to knowSuperhero day - and how you can be one too
On the 28th of April, the United States celebrates National Superhero Day. This peculiar holiday dates back to a group of employees of the comic book publisher Marvel, who "flew" to work in superhero capes on this day in 1995. Since then, primarily costume manufacturers and comic bookstores use this day for commercial purposes. But also, clubs and organizations use the day to draw attention to the importance of outreach for good causes. All in the spirit of "heroes for a good cause." The "Love Your Melon" organization, for example, uses April 28 to visit children's wards in hospitals dressed as superheroes and encourage them
Are superpowers and capes required to be a superhero? We assume you can be one without. On the occasion of Superhero Day, we tried to find out what actually makes a superhero.
With courage and bravery
In most stories, someone is referred to as a hero, if they are brave and have done something special, such as sacrificing their lives for other people. Sometimes warriors are equated with heroes - they have to fight and possibly die for the common good. Are therefore boundless courage, fighting spirit and willingness to sacrifice life necessary to be a hero?
Heroism in daily life
A heroic act is often understood as a remarkable, admirable performance. Being ready to stand up for someone else, even though you may be putting yourself in danger. However, the dangers we come across in our everyday lives are often not the same as the danger we see in movies or ancient stories. And different life circumstances require different heroic acts. Maybe you have heard or read it once: During the restrictions in the Corona Crisis, those who continued to do their (system-relevant) jobs were also called "everyday heroines." They did something that doesn't look like anything extraordinary but is still a great act. For example, working long and hard, and still providing for their own family.
Daily hero is a definition for a person, who helps others in everyday life and is unremittingly there for them. This definition is often referred to someone who works in the medical field or is socially involved. There is no doubt that there are some everyday heroes in the healthcare industry. To help others, they often have to put their own needs aside, like for example when they are on call duty. Moreover, there are many other professions where heroic acts are performed every day. We regularly bump into superheroes in our everyday lives, disguised as nurses, emergency doctors, police officers or firefighters.
A question of character
Is an education or willingness to take risks required to be an everyday hero? Volunteers are certainly also everyday heroes. They take care of refugees, young people and seniors with a lot of devotion. No matter what circumstances; to stand up for a person when they are confronted with injustice - definitely a heroic act. Does the definition of a hero fit people who show a lot of solidarity, responsibility, civil courage and a selfless act?
That everyday heroes are characterized by an outstanding strength of character. Among the common personality traits are reliability, empathy, honesty, courage, helpfulness, openness, kindness and so on.
Who is an everyday hero in our eyes
We think that superheroes neither should have superpowers nor sacrifice themselves. Everyday heroes don’t perfect, either. They are human beings and are allowed to have weaknesses. Mostly they are people who go down in the public perception, . This includes mothers, cleaning staff, postal employees or teachers. The good thing is: We can decide ourselves who deserves the honor of being an everyday hero. An everyday hero exists primarily through the perception of the people around him. We at Valeriana think whoever gives the best of themselves for the society and interacts with other people at eye level and without prejudice is an everyday hero. Also, our Valeriana women are real everyday heroes because it takes a significant amount of courage and bravery to come to a foreign country and start all over again.
Would you also like to be an everyday hero?
Our conclusion: It’s not that hard to be an everyday hero. Sometimes it’s enough to put a smile on someone’s face. If this is not enough for you to become an everyday hero, you can also do something good for the people around you by booking a service with Valeriana. This way you support people with a migratory background in their integration into Switzerland. You can find more information on our website at the booking platform.
