International Day of Friendship

The 30th of July is a special date for the calendar: International Day of Friendship. Since 2011, the date has been celebrated after the United Nations General Assembly established it to raise world peace and friendship between all populations and countries. It is a day that provides an opportunity for people to come together regardless of their age and background, to celebrate being human together.

How is the International Day of Friendship celebrated? There are so many ways to celebrate with other people marking such a day, but in essence, people come together, celebrate with events, campaign online, or just “be with your friend and dear ones.”.

Whichever way it is celebrated, the most important thing is taking time and reflecting on the strength and meaning of friendship.

‘Friendship’ is another word for ‘love.’ And probably, if ‘your nearest and dearest’ do ‘love you to bits,’ there will be no one to ‘tolerate’ your ‘3 a.m. emotional outbursts’—only, in fact, your best friend.

So when we do not seem to see the light at the end of the tunnel, our friends just sit in the dark with us, seeing the pain in our eyes, when all the rest of the world has made up our smiles.

As you enjoy with your bestie being rowdy, the same person is the one who will understand you without words, and that is why friends are the most beautiful gift in life. Friendship Day is celebrated in each and every corner of the world, filled with great fun and excitement, to relish those unsung friends of yours who will love you throughout, be it if they have flawed you, confused you, or even misguided you.

The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed that July 30 be observed as the International Day of Friendship.

The History of the International Day of Friendship

The motive of this day is inspired by one of the major principles of the United Nations: “Friendship between peoples is one of the fundamental pillars for international peace and security.”

The suggestion for the first Friendship Day was given by Joyce Hall in 1958 in Paraguay. Really, it was a day for the festival for the celebration of various kinds of friends worldwide. The date of the celebration was 2nd August, but it was unsynchronized to be 7th August in the United States. On Friendship Day 1998, Winnie the Pooh was named UN Ambassador of Friendship by Nane Annan, the wife of Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the UN. The conference was co-chaired by Kathy Lee Gifford and sponsored by the United Nations Department of Public Information and Disney Enterprises.

The concept of a World Friendship Day was first proposed by Dr. Ramon Artemio Bracho at a dinner among friends in Puerto Pinasco—a village on the Paraguay River, about 200 miles north of Asuncion, Paraguay—on the night of July 20, 1958. From that summit, the World Friendship Crusade was formed. The World Friendship Crusade is a non-profit organization aimed at promoting friendship and fellowship throughout humanity, regardless of where people live, the color of their skin, or their religious belief. Desde aquel entonces, el 30 de julio celebra a su vez en Paraguay con un respeto muy íntimo como el día de la amistad, que ha sido tomado por muchos países.

For years, the World Friendship Crusade had been pleading with the UN to take up July 30th as World Friendship Day. It was only in 2011 when a resolution on taking up July 30th as the International Day of Friendship was recommended, and the Member States take it as a day to be observed in a manner befitting their local, national, and regional mores through education.

The importance of the International Day of Friendship

The International Day of Friendship is important as it remakes the power which friendship entails. This forms the bedrock of international peace and security amongst human beings, getting a chance to come together on this day and celebrate friendship and humanity between individuals of all ages and from different areas. For that reason, on this day, it is an opportune moment to appreciate the friends in life and look around to be able to find new friendships, which may help in building a more peaceful and tolerant world.

After its adoption by the United Nations General Assembly, the International Day of Friendship was proclaimed on July 30 with the aim to give impetus to the peace efforts of the international community and foster the building of bridges between communities through friendship among peoples, nations, cultures, and individuals. Future leaders in youth need to involve in community activity which puts up other cultures and international awareness with high respect for diversity.

People from all around the world, however, use the day to commemorate the best friend journey from strangers in an academic institute to colleagues in our offices. We’d gone from being virtually joined at the hip at work to growing and nurturing such close friendships with people who we can chat with for hours on end without giving it a second thought; knowing full well they’ve got us, and we’ve got them. Even though it is not a holiday declared in the country, it is however celebrated by people across the globe where they meet friends and toast to their friends’ health and many more years together.

International Friendship Day Traditions

Such friends who are there for us, call us out on our indecisiveness, surrender their time for us when everybody else is busy with their lives. They don’t show right in the middle of the night to lighten our mood. And even our long-distance friends, whose friendship can withstand miles and distance, are honored on International Day of Friendship.

The definition of friendship, to say the least, might be a whole lot different from one person to another, and so will the kind of friendship. We have the people whom we know for a long time, but they are not close by our side. Then we have those who we have probably known for a short time, and we refer to them as our best friend. Therefore, everyone’s customs and celebrations are special. For example, simple ways to celebrate the day include just chilling around with friends and doing our “thing,” while more sophisticated ways include throwing parties, giving out presents, and saying thank you. Another widely common practice on the day of International Friendship is the contact and rebuilding of the relationship with friends with whom you did not communicate for a long time.

How to Celebrate the International Day of Friendship

Celebrating the International Day of Friendship takes many forms, ranging from hosting events to participation in online campaigns, or just staying together with friends and loved ones. Now, how one chooses to celebrate doesn’t really matter. What’s most important is that each and every one of us take time out to celebrate the greatness behind such a powerful friendship. One of the best ways of observing the International Day of Friendship is to reach out to somebody new and make them feel welcome.

This may be through acts like giving a helping hand or being available to listen to someone. Another such great way that can be used to celebrate is to hold an event that brings people together on this day. It can be anything—be it a potluck dinner party, be it a community service project; however, keep in mind that at the end of the day, take out some time for your friends and dear ones in order to let them know how special they are on this special day.

Make plans to meet up with a friend for lunch, dinner, or happy hour

Do you, too, have your good old buddies, whom you hadn’t seen for ages? Or maybe there are such friends with whom one can only get together and do the same thing all the time. Why not make this International Day of Friendship extra special by being with friends and creating fresh memories, maybe getting one or two good laughs in the process?

Participate in a community cultural event

Is there a community center not far from you that you would like to visit, but you just cannot find time for it? What a good time to go over the schedule and go to all the activities. Meeting new friends and being introduced to different cultures or ways of living that have come to exist within a few blocks from where you live.

What to give on International Day of Friendship to your Best Friend?

So, if you give a thought as to what would really prove to be the best gift for your best friend on this International Day of Friendship, then nothing else but a piece that has been made by an artisan. Such are the kind of gifts that are unique and thoughtful, showing concern for the interests your friend would be keeping in mind. And, whether it’s a friend who adores all the sparkles of jewelry or the earthy elegance of pottery, or perhaps a friend who drools only over modern art pieces, an artisan will surely be appreciated. In all likelihood, your friend may not only like the gift but be very touched, probably, by the time and thoughtfulness that you put into finding something so special.

Other ideas:

Let them know you care with a phone call He may have talked to the friend who lived very far, and maybe it was months or years ago. Here is a sure way to do that—listen to the voice that has been around for whatever time, long or short, and make each other smile on International Friendship Day. To some, it may be a little bit hard to call out of the blue, but awkwardness would have already flown out the window at the very first sound of chuckles. It isn’t going to be painful to remind someone that you still remember him.

Send Thoughtful Messages and Notes Let them know you care—leave them a note on a card, postcard, sticky note, etc., reminding them of a fond memory. If letter-writing is too old school for you, then post a message on social media for the whole world to see that these people mean the world to you.

Give Them ROSES Give your friends roses; they are the most meaningful gift. They are ageless, symbolic, and adaptable. Give or send some of the most pleasing roses from those sent on International Friendship Day!

Not enough? Then check our article 5 Great Gift Ideas for International Day of Friendship.

Fun Facts

Conclusion International Day of Friendship

The International Day of Friendship will for sure remain one very important day, as it reminds one of the power of friendship. In fact, friendship is a very key pillar towards international peace and security. The day, of course, avails an opportunity for people to team up and celebrate their commonality. On this day, we could feel great about our friends and even reach out to make one more friend. This way, we would further the cause of a more peaceful and tolerant world.

The International Day of Friendship is one of the many gentle reminders that we need good friends to be able to live healthily and happily. Continue nurturing your friendship by spending quality time with them, sorting out problems as soon as possible, and setting aside time to schedule friendly outings together. With that current means and ways of communication channels, you are never going to lose the spirit of friendship either with a buddy from the past or current times.