03/07/2026
Why did so many Bosnians cry? It’s a question I’ve been asked repeatedly since sharing my recent reel.
To many people watching from the outside, it looked like an emotional reaction to football. And yet, psychology invites us to look a little deeper. 🤷🏻♀️
When communities have experienced war, forced migration, displacement or collective hardship, emotions are rarely experienced in isolation. They become woven into a shared history carried across families, generations and countries.
We often speak about collective trauma, the way painful events continue to shape communities long after they occur.
Yet, we speak far less about collective joy.
Collective joy describes those moments when an entire community experiences hope, pride, connection and belonging together. These moments don’t erase trauma, or undo loss, grief, or pain; but they can remind people that life is about more than survival. They remind us that joy is still possible; our identity can be celebrated; and belonging can be felt again.
Although this conversation was inspired by the Bosnian community, this experience is not unique to Bosnia. Many communities who have experienced conflict, migration, colonisation or displacement may recognise these emotions in their own stories.
Perhaps healing is not only something that happens in therapy rooms. Sometimes healing also happens in stadiums.
Around dinner tables, weddings, through music, language, dance, and shared celebration. Sometimes, healing happens together.
Have you ever experienced a moment of collective joy that moved you to tears?
I’d love to hear your story below.
🤍 send this post to someone who might feel seen by it.
