This December, we’re championing kindness in all its forms through HuffPost UK’s Kindness Advent Calendar. Check back daily (until 24 December) for new stories focusing on how individuals and communities are going above and beyond to help others in their times of need.

There is a caretaker who stands outside my child’s school each day, greeting every person that passes him by with a smile, chirpy “good morning” and a fist bump, high five, or both.

His enthusiasm is infectious and there’s not a child (or parent, for that matter) who manages to pass him still frowning. The stress of the school rush melts away.

These moments of kindness and connection can really make a difference, shifting a person’s mood and possibly even the trajectory of their day, as plenty of people noted after someone asked Redditors to share the “small things people do every day that quietly make the world better”.

In the spirit of inspiring kindness now and all year round, here’s what they said:

1. Smiling at others

“Smiling at people on my daily walks, most almost suddenly smile........

© HuffPost