Firgun is an important part of Israeli culture – the concept of someone praising another person or expressing unselfish, pure joy or pride in the other person’s achievements.
In Israeli culture, firgun has been expressed as spiritual generosity. (Photo credit: Unsplash)
New Delhi: Israel is rich in culture and traditions. Its culture is intricately intertwined with Jewish culture, tracing its roots back to the Zionist movement and the history of the Jewish diaspora. Arab culture and traditions have also had a certain influence on Israeli culture, as have Israeli minorities such as the Circassians, Armenians and Druze.
Fergun is an important part of Israeli culture. It is a concept where someone compliments another person or expresses altruistic, heartfelt happiness and pride in the achievements of others. Fergun has been expressed in Israeli culture as spiritual generosity, that is, altruistic, boundless joy that something good has happened or may happen to someone. Most importantly, the absence of negative emotions is an integral part of the concept of Fergun.
How did this term originate?
The word “filgun” comes from the Yiddish word “falginen.” The word is a relatively recent addition to the Hebrew language, first used in the 1970s. Over the following decades, the concept gained momentum. Tamar Katriel, a professor of communications at the University of Haifa, once clarified that firgun is different from a compliment because it deals with true closeness without any intention behind it.
How did International Ferngan Day start?
International Firgun Day began in 2014 when Israeli non-profit Made in JLM decided to make it a national holiday to be celebrated every year on July 17th. On this day, people express their deepest pride and celebrate the accomplishments of others. The group organized an overnight marketing hackathon on the eve of July 17th, and came up with an online automated tool called firgunator that generates firguns in multiple languages.
The day began as a modest initiative in Jerusalem but has gained significant momentum over the years: thousands of people in Israel and abroad celebrate the day every year and Fagan has been featured in some of the world’s leading publications, including The Guardian, Huffington Post, The Metropolitan and Mashable.
