Before motivational quotes went viral, a small bear with a very large appetite for honey quietly mastered the art of living. He forgot things, got stuck in doorways and called snack time a priority—and somehow, he was right. Today is Winnie the Pooh Day, celebrating the accidental philosopher of the Hundred Acre Wood and marking the birthday of the man who dreamed him up.

Winnie-the-Pooh wandered into the world in 1926, created by AA Milne and inspired by his son's teddy bear. Pooh was named after a real bear from London Zoo, while the Hundred Acre Wood was inspired by a real place: Ashdown Forest, seen in today's image. Even that famous red shirt wasn't part of the original look—it arrived later and became iconic anyway. Pooh may call himself 'a bear of very little brain,' but his ideas stick. He knows that friendship beats efficiency, that walks don't need destinations and that thinking goes better with snacks.

The best way to celebrate is the Pooh way. Read a chapter. Rewatch a favourite scene. Pause for 'important thinking time.' After all, as Pooh would say, life's better when you don't rush—and when you remember to be kind.