International Friendship Day – Concept and History

International Friendship Day

One of the most significant and valued aspects of our lives is friendship. It is one of the loveliest gifts you can give to someone. In a way of life, you meet a lot of people, but only a few of them stick with you for the rest of your life. Poverty, violence, and human rights violations, among other things, are among the many problems that threaten peace, security, development, and social harmony among the world’s people. To address the core causes of these crises and problems, we must promote and defend a common sense of human solidarity, which can take many forms, the most basic of which is friendship.

The history behind International Friendship Day

The United Nations General Assembly declared the International Day of Friendship (International Friendship Day) in 2011 with the goal of inspiring peace initiatives and building bridges across communities via friendship between peoples, countries, cultures, and individuals.

The resolution emphasizes the need of incorporating young people, as future leaders, in community activities that promote international understanding and respect for diversity. The United Nations invites governments, international organizations, and civil society groups to undertake events, activities, and initiatives to commemorate the International Day of Friendship.

The International Day of Friendship is a project based on UNESCO‘s proposal to define the Culture of Peace as a collection of beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors that reject violence and strive to prevent conflicts by addressing their core causes in order to solve problems. In 1997, the United Nations General Assembly approved it.

Friendship Day is observed in a number of nations. International Friendship Day was initially proposed in Paraguay in 1958. It is, however, acknowledged to have originated in 1930 from Joyce Hall’s Hallmark cards.

Finally, the United Nations recognized July 30 to be International Friendship Day. In India, however, it is traditionally observed on the first Sunday in August.

In the 1930s, Hallmark cards inspired the concept of Friendship Day. Originally observed on August 2nd, the day was primarily regarded as a money-making exercise by the general public; sales of friendship day cards did not take off in Europe and by the mid-1940s, the day had sunk into oblivion in the United States.

The concept of a day to honour friendship was, however, adopted by a number of Asian countries, where it remained a widespread habit to set aside a day to honour friendship and distribute presents between friends.

With the rise in popularity of social media around the world, there has been a rise in online celebrations of World Friendship Day and International Day of Friendship, as well as community activities in local communities aimed at bringing people from various backgrounds together.

Meanwhile, according to another version of the story, Joyce Hall, the founder of Hallmark Greeting Cards, was the reason behind International Friendship Day in 1930. The day was commemorated to honour friendship and to recognize the importance of friends in our life.

Every year, friends exchange gifts and plan outings for each other to commemorate this day. People in India commemorate this day by exchanging colorful friendship bands and flowers.

It’s that time of year again when friends from all over the world show their appreciation for one another and remind you why they’re your closest friend. There is a method to celebrate Friendship Day for everyone, whether you want to send a card, send a text message, make a photo collage on Facebook, or go see them in person.

We are encouraged to “observe this day in an appropriate manner, in accordance with the culture and other appropriate circumstances or customs of their local, national, and regional communities, including through education and public awareness-raising activities,” as stated in the Friendship Day declaration.

There are no hard and fast rules for celebrating Friendship Day. The beauty of all friendships, whether established or developing, is that each one is distinct from the others. This provides you and your best friends a blank slate to do whatever you want, within limits, and to commemorate the experiences you’ve shared together in whatever way you tend to enjoy.

Taking a vacation together to commemorate the occasion is a great way to make the day all about friends and celebrations. You can go to the places that have special meaning for all or both of you, such as the beach where you first met or the location of your most notorious exploits. You may also travel to the one place you promised each other you’d always visit.

However, given how hectic everyone’s lives are, not everyone can arrange a huge day out for each other. That is, however, what makes Friendship Day so special. Best friends understand that life gets in the way sometimes, so they won’t be upset if there isn’t a huge party in their honour. Remembering the friend or friends on this special day itself is a wonderful way to mark the day.

When is international friendship day?

United Nations recognized July 30 to be International Friendship Day. In India, however, it is traditionally observed on the first Sunday in August.

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