Silly Socks Say A Lot on March 21st

As part of a celebration around the world, people are encouraged to wear silly socks on World Down Syndrome Day, which takes place annually on March 21. The United Nations has been observing World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD) since 2012, as a means of raising awareness.

How could wearing silly socks be connected to Down Syndrome?

The initiative is part of the ”Lots of Socks” campaign begun by an organization called Down Syndrome International, to encourage people to start a conversation about diversity, uniqueness, inclusion, and acceptance. Socks have been used as the symbol because chromosomes are shaped like socks and people who have Down Syndrome are born with an extra one. The idea is to wear brightly colored, mismatched, long, printed socks — or even layer three socks, one for each chromosome.

What is Down Syndrome?

Down syndrome is a condition in which a person has an extra chromosome. Chromosomes are small packages of genes in the body. They determine how a baby’s body forms and functions as it grows during pregnancy and after birth. Typically, a baby is born with 46 chromosomes. Babies with Down syndrome have an extra copy of one of these chromosomes (chromosome 21). A medical term for having an extra copy of a chromosome is trisomy, so Down Syndrome is also referred to as Trisomy 21.

Wear your silly socks on March 21!

SIDEbySIDE, we can empower people around the world to advocate for full inclusion in society for people with Down syndrome and for everyone.

Want to learn more about the #LotsOfSocks campaign? Visit https://lotsofsocks.worlddownsyndromeday.org/.