A friend holds different roles in different stages of our lives. For a toddler, they are someone to share toys and chocolate with. For a teenager, almost half of their world and they cannot function without them. For adults, it’s someone they can connect with, even across miles and years, and for elderly people, their chess companions. The philosopher Aristotle described friends as a single soul dwelling in two bodies, emphasizing the unique bond between them. So, let us today uncover the importance of Friendship Day and what is the significance behind this day.
1. How Friendship Day Began?
Joyce Hall from Paraguay, owner of Hallmark Cards, proposed the idea of Friendship Day in 1958. Initially, the idea wasn’t well-received as people began losing interest in it. They think it was just a scheme to commercialize and promote the sales of greeting cards.
Nowadays, people show their warm regards to one another by exchanging various tokens of appreciation, such as gifts and wristbands. Friendship Day originated in a modest way, but nowadays, the 111occasion has become greatly commercialized. The US started this tradition first and then other countries adopted it.
Do you know how 9gag started?
2. What is the Importance of Friendship Day?
We celebrate Friendship Day around the world to honor and appreciate this special bond.
1. Celebrating Bonds
Friendship Day serves as a precious occasion to recognize and cherish the invaluable influence of friends in our lives. It enables us to show appreciation for their presence, affection, and support. We celebrate this day and acknowledge our shared love and affection, cherishing the bonds we have forged.
2. Improving Emotional Well-being
Having friends is essential for our emotional well-being. They provide us with a feeling of belonging and acceptance, providing a secure environment to express both our happiness and sadness. Authentic friendships play a vital role in safeguarding our mental well-being by diminishing stress, anxiety, and feelings of loneliness.
This day holds great significance as we can express the invaluable impact our friends have on our emotional well-being and rekindle our commitment to nurturing these profound relationships. Are you aware of what are 10 examples of wants?
3. Companionship for life
Friends are the family we choose. They remain by our side in all circumstances, providing constant support and companionship. Friendship day is important because it reminds us to value and take care of our friendships, which give us a feeling of belonging, comfort, and lasting memories.
4. An Inspiring and Encouraging Source
Genuine friends serve as a source of inspiration and motivation, encouraging us to strive for excellence and become the most exceptional versions of ourselves. They have faith in our capabilities, inspire us during difficult moments, and rejoice in our accomplishments.
This special occasion recognizes and celebrates the profound influence that friends have on our personal growth and development. Another importance of friendship day is that it motivates us to return the support and encouragement we receive.
5. Promoting Connections and Nurturing Empathy
Friendships have the power to transcend boundaries, cultures, and backgrounds. Celebrating Friendship Day promotes unity and inclusivity by bringing people from different backgrounds together. It helps in fostering understanding and bridging gaps between individuals. We celebrate this day to honor the beauty and strength of diversity in our friendships.
Do not forget to teach your kids about the difference between empathy and sympathy?
3. What is the Significance of Friendship Day?
Today holds great importance as it serves as a dedicated day to honor our friends, who are truly essential companions in our lives. They are always by our side, supporting us unconditionally and helping us become better individuals. This special day provides us with the perfect opportunity to express our sincere gratitude for having them as our friends and to convey how much they truly mean to us in our lives.
Friendship day was an initiative of the Culture of Peace, as defined by UNESCO. It encompasses a set of values, attitudes, and behaviors aimed at rejecting violence and actively seeking to prevent conflicts. By addressing the underlying causes of issues, it strives to resolve various problems.
(Also see: Why is it Important to Learn about Other Cultures?)
4. What Can We Do To Celebrate Friendship Day?
After reading the heartfelt importance of friendship day and friends in our lives, now let us decide what special we can do. Exchanging greeting cards and tying friendship bands is a popular way to celebrate Friendship Day. Here are a few more ideas that you can do to celebrate.
1. Find the perfect present
A gift can show appreciation for friends and brighten their day. It doesn’t need to be something large or costly. Just choose something you believe your friend would like. Sending a note, flowers, or their favorite dessert is a meaningful way to show gratitude for their presence in your life. Looking for some gifting ideas, take a look.
2. Organize a Virtual Gathering
You can have a virtual gathering to spend time with your online friends who live far away. You could have a video chat to catch up and reminisce about the time you had spent together. You can play games together online, watch movies together virtually, or share photos on social media of your best memories with them. Try out these 24 best free bingo games online.
3. Quality time plan
Spending quality time with your friend is a meaningful way to celebrate friendship. Plan an activity or a meal with them. Or revisit the place you first met and cherish the best moments of your friendship. Or you could just take a trip together and make new memories.
4. Make a New Friend
Celebrating the importance of friendship day can be even more meaningful by welcoming a new friendship into your life. To do so you can consider volunteering for a cause, joining a club, or meeting friends of friends to meet new people.
5. When Did Friendship Band Originated?
Friendship bands became popular in the 1980s. They were used during a large protest regarding the disappearance of Mayan Indians and peasants in Guatemala. Furthermore, these bands were utilized during political rallies as well. The bands originated from indigenous people in Central and South America.
However, many people also associate its origins with China, dating back to the years 481 to 221 BC. Friendship bands have a rich folklore surrounding them. According to a popular belief, when you bind a bracelet around your friend’s wrist as a gesture of friendship, it is said that you must make a wish as you do it. The band should not be removed until it naturally wears out. When it finally drops, your wish is granted.
Discover what are the different types of folklore?
6. What Is the Main Purpose of Friendship Day?
The United Nations declared July 30th as World Friendship Day in 2011. The purpose behind it was to strengthen friendships between people from different countries, regardless of their differences. Backed by the importance of friendship day it was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1997.
But many countries celebrate it on different days.
- February 15 – United States
- 2nd Saturday of March – Colombia
- July 14 – Venezuela, Mexico, Ecuador, and Estonia
- July 19 – Pakistan
- July 20 – Argentina, Brazil, Spain, and Uruguay
- July 23 – Bolivia
- July 30 – Finland
- 1st Sunday of August – India and Malaysia
7. Some Fun Facts about Friendship Day
Do you know?
- 1997 – Winnie the Pooh, our beloved fictional character, was chosen by the United Nations as the official ambassador for Friendship Day.
- 1958 – Paraguay was the first country to celebrate Friendship Day on July 30th.
- 1967 – To celebrate the tenth anniversary of Friendship Day, The Beatles released their song “With a Little Help from My Friends.”
- There is also a special day called Friendship Day, specifically dedicated to women. The 3rd Sunday of September is observed as Women’s Friendship Day, where we honor and cherish the unbreakable connections shared among women.
- There is a whole month dedicated solely to celebrating the importance of friendship day. The entire month of February is officially acknowledged as Friendship Month.
Humans are social creatures, constantly seeking the presence and interaction of others to fill our lives with purpose and stimulation. It’s hard to think of not having a friend when you really need one. With a friend, you share so many things that you wouldn’t even consider sharing with your parents or partner. That is why friends hold such a unique and cherished position in our hearts. This friendship day let us teach our kids the Importance of friendship day. They need to learn that they can’t be a good friend if you’re selfish and only befriend people for personal gain. (Also read What does it mean to be a Good Friend?)
