“I would rather walk with a friend in the dark, than alone in the light.” -Helen Keller
Friendship is one of the most pure forms of relationship. It is a mutual bond among people. Friend is a person that helps you to express your true feelings and stands with you through your thick and thin. They help us to celebrate good times and provide support during bad phases of our life. Several regions celebrate Friendship Day on different days. But in India it is celebrated on the first Sunday of August every year. Friendship Day 2021 is being observed on August 1. With Friendship Day 2021, celebrate this unshakeable tie with your best buddies or BFFs or besties as the modern generation refers to their best friends.
However, July 30 is celebrated as International Friendship Day in many countries. Some people celebrate this day by tying a band on each other’s wrist, called friendship band. This band is a symbol of promise to be each other’s best friend forever (BFFs). Some people exchange gifts and enjoy parties with their friends on this occasion.
History of Friendship Day
In 1958, this day was first proposed in Paraguay as International Friendship Day. But some people believe that it was first originated in 1930 from Hallmark cards. At first, this day was started as a marketing strategy and Joyce Hall dedicated this day to celebrate the importance of people who are closest to us or matter the most. From then, people started sending gift cards to their closed ones to show them that they are valuable to them. Then with time this marketing strategy turned into an official holiday. The US Congress announced the first Sunday of August as the Friendship Day. Later, in 2011, the United Nations declared July 30 as the official International Friendship Day and declared a Disney character named ‘Winnie the Pooh’ as the global ambassador of Friendship.
Why do we celebrate Friendship Day?
Friends have a special significance in our life. They are like our second family which we get to choose. We all have that important person in our life that stands with us in our ups and downs without having any blood relation. A friend is a person who makes our life easy by supporting us, motivating us and understanding us. A friend allows us to grow in our life. In our daily chores and responsibilities, we generally forget to thank that friend who stood by us in every situation. So to make those friends feel special and important, the Friendship day is celebrated. By celebrating this day we cherish and embrace our friendships.
“A friend is one that knows you as you are, understands where you have been, accepts what you have become, and still, gently allows you to grow.” – William Shakespeare
What Role Does Friendship Day Play in Our Society?
Friends are the people who accept us as we are. True friends stay with us irrespective of our weaknesses. They prevent us from loneliness and offer us a needed companionship. They can also increase our sense of belongingness and purpose. The motive behind this day is to strengthen the bond of friendship between people, countries and cultures as the bond of friendship is beyond any boundary. People at individual level could also inspire peace by building bridges between communities. This day stresses the need for the involvement of youngsters who might be our future leaders in community activities and developing harmony in society. This involvement will promote the international understanding and respect for diversity among different communities.
Friendship is a broader term and it does not have a specific meaning. That’s why some people celebrate this day with their family members including parents or life partner. Some people celebrate their friendship with many other things like music, art or even nature. This year on the occasion of friendship day, some people are celebrating their friendship with mother earth. The United Nation (UN) also shared a post that shows its promise to enrich its friendship with nature by caring the natural resources of mother earth as we also celebrated World Nature Conservation Day a few days back.
How to Celebrate Friendship Day 2021?
People celebrate Friendship Day by tying a band on the wrist of their friends and promise to keep their friendship forever. Friends generally go out for celebrating the day and share gifts, cards and wishes. But, for the last two years, due to the coronavirus pandemic, people are restricted to celebrate the occasion as a precaution. Due to this, many people won’t get a chance to meet their closest friends on this day. However, you can reach out to your friends with the help of several social media and other digital platforms. People can wish each other or share heartfelt posts on several social networking sites. These days, sharing videos or pictures have become the trend to celebrate the occasions.
Conclusion
Friendship is a relation that might not be related by blood but connected by heart. Our life becomes meaningful and adventurous when good friends are around us. A true friend highlights our mistakes and guides us in many ways. Friends also inspire each other to realize their full potential. One can easily share his/her emotions and can express their thoughts with friends without any restraint. Friends are our mental support and whenever we face a crisis, a good friend joins hand and helps us to get through that situation. In simple words, we can say that friends make our life happier and beautiful.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. When is Friendship Day celebrated?
All around the world Friendship Day is celebrated on different dates. In India, it is celebrated on the first Sunday in the month of August. In 2021, Friendship Day is on 1st August.
Q2. What is Friendship Day?
We celebrate the ties of friendship and precious bonds of togetherness on the special occasion of Friendship Day.
Q3. How to Celebrate Friendship Day 2021?
You can celebrate this day by-
- Sharing a photo or collage of you and your friends on social media.
- Sending flowers to your friends
- Sending greeting cards
- Posting memorable video for your friend
- Gifting your friend
- Telling your friends how much you appreciate them or how much they mean to you in your life
Q4. What is the main purpose of Friendship Day?
Ans. The main purpose of Friendship Day is to highlight the connection of bond of friendship between people, countries and cultures to build bridges between communities.
Q5. When is International Day of Friendship?
Ans. The International Day of Friendship is observed on July 30 and was proclaimed in 2011 by the UN General Assembly.
