(NEXSTAR) — “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” – Aesop.

It was a popular refrain marking World Kindness Day on social media Friday.

Friday the 13th, that is. Though this superstition-mired Friday is associated with negativity, that didn’t stop people around the world from spreading nice words and encouragement.

Coca-Cola tweeted, “Some brands roast. On #WorldKindnessDay, we toast.”

And Mattel’s Barbie responded to the popular soft drink company’s tweet with one of her own, “In a world where You Can be Anything, be kind!”

The Peanuts gang concurred, saying animals should be included as well.

Started in 1998 by an organization called the World Kindness Movement, the observance is marked by more than two dozen countries.

“Kindness is a fundamental part of the human condition which bridges the divided races, religion, politics, gender, etc.,” the organization said. “Dare to make kindness your modus operandi and change the world.”

This year’s theme is empathy, and in the midst of political tension and a pandemic that has affected nearly every corner of the globe, we could use some of that.

“We need a keen sense of the oneness of humanity, remembering what we have in common with everyone else,” the Dalia Lama tweeted.

The United Nations tweeted that one act of kindness is avoiding the spread of misinformation in the age of COVID-19.

“Taking time to verify facts before sharing something online is an act of kindness & can help stop the spread of #COVID19,” the UN wrote.

There was lots of advice on social media on other ways to spread kindness, including calling a loved one, motivating a friend, holding a door open for someone, tutoring a student or paying it forward by buying someone a meal or a cup of coffee.

Each calendar year, there is at least one Friday the 13th, but there can be as many as three in a single year. Though it has a reputation of being “unlucky,” maybe this one will be different as people, including the New York Mets, pitch “positivity and love.”