Friendship Day

1. When is World Friendship Day ? The United Nations has recently declared the 30th of July to be the official International Friendship Day. Several countries in Asia, however, use the first Sunday in August as Friendship Day, since that was the earliest date proposed. The reason there are two dates for Friendship Day is that it was separately created at two different times by two different people.

2. Who created World Friendship Day? There are two separate stories behind the creation of a day called Friendship Day. The Hallmark greeting card company first proposed the idea of a Friendship Day in 1919, choosing the first Sunday in August as the celebratory date (this was the slowest time of the year for holiday cards, and it was hoped that they could create a new demand for them). Friendship Day did not really catch on with the public, and today it is rarely celebrated in the United States.

Nearly 40 years later, in 1958, Dr. Artemio Bracho of Paraguay formed the World Friendship Crusade with some of his friends, which promotes peace and friendship among people of all races and creeds. He was inspired while having dinner with a group of his closest friends on one night in July. The World Friendship Crusade lobbied the United Nations for a worldwide Friendship Day that would fall on July 30th, and in April of 2011, this request was granted.

3. Where is World Friendship Day celebrated? This holiday has been the most popular on the continents of South America and Asia. North Americans and Europeans do not often celebrate World Friendship Day, although the United Nations has officially recognized it (and named an official “Ambassador of Friendship,” Winnie the Pooh, in 1998). In countries where it is not popular, the holiday has sometimes been seen as representative of crass commercialism, which can help explain why it has not caught on. Today, many people in Europe and North America simply do not know about World Friendship Day, nor do they know how popular it has become in other places.

4. How do people celebrate World Friendship Day? On this day, people around the world celebrate friendship by giving gifts and throwing parties with their friends. Traditionally, cards and flowers are exchanged, as well as hand-woven friendship bracelets. World Friendship Day has become even more popular with the advent of new technologies spreading it far and wide. With cell phones and social networks, it’s easier than ever to say hi to friends!