And it's a photo-finish from Waitakere Gymnastics Club in New Zealand as these guys celebrate #HandstandDay (and a result in the rugby *quietly grits teeth*) in style!

Here's Nick Silagy enjoying a bit of (upside)down time at Melbourne Airport...

Caroline from women's 40+ lifestyle group Cotswold Women lays down the gaunlet to fellow members.

Good luck, ladies and don't forget to share your best efforts with #HandstandDay

Think you can't do a handstand? Never tried?

Well, here's Olympic bronze medallist Nile Wilson to give you five steps to inverted glory...

Okay, it requires a bit of work (I tried that extended plank thing and lasted approximately 1.5 seconds before falling flat on my face). But give it a go. You don't need to look like Niall with your shirt off to do a handstand but you'll definitely be stronger and fitter if you practise his progressions.

Here's Peppi - a young gymnast from Finland.

In recognition of their enduring efforts on International Handstand Day, we'll give them the honour of lighting up Europe on our world map. Thank you, Finland!

Image source, BBC Sport

Last year and we received pics and videos from all over the planet, but one unusual concentration of content came from, of all places, Finland.

Maybe Eetu's sunlounger stunt (see Best of IHD 2016 at 11:07) sparked a wave of enthusiasm but however it happened, we got pic after pic after pic...

Image source, Laura Hamalainen

Image source, Alppilan Salamat

Image source, Reeta Pitkanen

Image source, Finland Gymnastic Skills Club

We could have gone on - but it poses the question: who will be waving their national flag most proudly on Käsilläseisontapäivän* 2017?

*thank you Google Translate

Image source, Alvin Tam

International Handstand Day was born in 2011 when a couple living in Las Vegas decided it was time the world celebrated the humble move.

Alvin Tam is many things – a filmmaker, a marketing consultant, a yoga leader, an American living in the woods of British Columbia, Canada – but he started life as a circus performer.

After years of working as part of Cirque du Soleil and living in the most neon-fantastic city in the world, Alvin and his partner Jada opened a yoga studio. When they started their Handstand class they realised just how popular the need to learn (or for some re-learn) how to do a freestanding handstand was.

Six years later, with some help from friends in Singapore, Get Inspired and British Gymnastics, the day is well and truly a date to mark in your calendar.

Thanks Alvin!

And now - a little bit of back-story...

And if Handstand Day isn't a school day, so what? Go early!

Image source, Russell House School

Some of you just couldn't wait for today to get upside down:

Here's 10-year-old Amy at the top of the Empire State Building last week (she got told off by security, apparently) Humbug - good work, Amy!

Image source, Voomfit

Handstand - ✅

National monument - ✅

Traffic cone on the head - ✅

Thanks to Voomfit for this view of the Duke of Wellington statue in Royal Exchange Square, Glasgow, where the cone is these days more iconic than the poor Iron Duke himself.

Wherever you are - send us a handstand in front of a place that is special to you!

A spectacular shot from the album of former British aerobics champion Nina Gambling on top of Ayers Rock.

Can anyone beat this view today? Share to #HandstandDay and we'll feature all the best pics.

We're looking to get handstands from all around the globe and light up our IHD2017 world map, and where better to start with our look at the world of the upside down than down under?

Here's Silvia Zambotto in Western Australia and that's Australasia ticked off!

Image source, BBC Sport

We were amazed by the response to last year’s Handstand Day, so if you’re joining us and new to the whole idea, here are some of the highlights of 2016.

FYI, the guy walking down 100 steps (!) is acrobat Mathieu Bolillo - check out more from him on Instagram., external Amzing stuff.

And our friend nonchalantly lifting himself out of the sunlounger is gymnast Eetu Lahti from Finland, of which more in a minute...

We've got loads of handstand action to bring you - social media's been going bananas this morning - but first a little recap...

It's International Handstand Day 2017!

It's what now? Let us explain. IHD (for short) is a one-day global celebration of the handstand, inaugurated in 2011 by Canada-based acrobat and gymnast Alvin Tam.

The aim is to encourage people from all over the world to share their handstands on social media and bring together communities not just from the world of gymnastics, but the many other sports and activities in which the technique is a vital part.

Diving, yoga, dance, circus, parkour, cheerleading, martial arts… all of these disciplines and more feature the skill of handstanding. And even if you’re not involved in any kind of sport, just trying the technique will improve your core strength, arm strength and balance.

Over the next few hours we’ll bring you the best of Handstand Day 2017 on this page and if you want to get involved, share your pics and vids with the hashtag #HandstandDay.

Ready to see the world upside-down? Let’s go!

Image source, Simon Rhys-Jones