Friendship Day

Friendship Day

Friendship Day History




History of Friendship Day in US



Considering the valuable role friends play in our life it was deemed to fit to have a day dedicated to friends and friendship. The United States Congress, in 1935, proclaimed first Sunday of August as the National Friendship Day. Since then, celebration of National Friendship Day became an annual event. The noble idea of honoring the beautiful relationship of friendship caught on with the people and soon Friendship Day became a hugely popular festival.



Following the popularity and success of Friendship Day in US, several other countries adopted the tradition of dedicating a day to friends. Today, Friendship Day is enthusiastically celebrated by several countries across the world including India.



In 1997, the United Nations named Winnie - the Pooh as the world's Ambassador of Friendship.



Importance of Friendship in Bible

The Bible, the primary text of the western civilization, reflects upon friendship as the bond that forms the foundation to human faith, trust and companionship. Following verses from the bible aptly portray the importance of friends:



"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”

Matthew 7:7



“Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

John 15:13-15



Besides, there are several tales from the Old Testament and the New Testament about the value of friendship and how true friendship is a treasure to unearth. A noticeable point is that, both the versions make a difference between the two broad meanings of friendship- one is a mere acquaintance, the other is a more affectionate relation.



In the Old Testament, Abraham is called the “friend of God” because of the intimacy of his relations. God speaks to Moses face to face “as a man…unto his friend” (Ex 33:11). The romantic friendship of Ruth and Naomi, the devotion of the subordinate Hushai for David, or the mutual relation between David and Jonathan - the Old Testament is replete with these interesting tales of friends and friendship.



In the New Testament, the relationship between Jesus and his disciples clearly depicts how human friendship can constantly grow. From being teacher and disciple, to lord and servant their relationship finally grew to an unparalleled friendship.



Importance of Friendship in Mahabharata

In the famous Hindu epic ‘Mahabharata’, Lord Krishna demonstrates the many colors of friendship - affection, romance, brotherhood, protection, guidance, intimacy and even teasing. Friendship is all about these and much more.











Tribute to a Friend

Friendship Day is celebrated in honor of friends who make our lives so special and help us give a meaningful direction to our lives. On Friendship Day people must pay sincerest tribute to friends, both old and new, and appreciate the important role played by them in shaping their lives.





Significance of Friends

True friendship is about putting your feet up and knowing that someone is there to bail you out when the world might walk out on you. Besides, as a support system in today's hectic world, friends are the most reliable sources for social, intellectual and creative stimulations.



In the present fast pace age of nuclear families where people have little time to spend with each other, friends have become indispensable. Then there are times when we find it tough to discuss matters with our family members or even with our spouse, it is on occasions such as these that friends come to our support. They guide us and become our pillar of strength when we need them most. And the best part is we don't really need to put things in words when communicating issues to our best friends. Most often friends understand us, just by looking at us or hearing our voice. This heart-to-heart bonding is what makes friendship so exclusive, setting it apart from all other relationships.



Significance of Expressing Love to Friends

Howsoever strong a relationship maybe, it constantly needs to be nurtured with love and care. We must therefore never lose an opportunity to express our feelings and the warmth we may be experiencing for our friends. We may do this by sending flowers, a heartfelt card or a thoughtful gift. We may also do this by being together with a friend in times of joy or sorrow. The idea is to keep expressing our unconditional love and support to our dearest friend let the friendship evolve.



Significance of Friendship Day

At times we get so busy in our daily lives that we start taking our friends for granted. It is the annual celebration of Friendship Day that reminds us that we must cherish the presence of friends in our lives and acknowledge with love the important role they play in our lives. One must therefore celebrate friendship on Friendship Day to the fullest and let their friendship soar to newer heights.













Friendship Day in India

Friendship Day has come to be celebrated in a big way in India. The noble idea of honoring friends and friendship has really caught on with the youth in India and one can see the festival being enthusiastically celebrated by the youth especially, students.





Day Dedicated to Friends

In tune with the spirit of the occasion, people dedicate Friendship Day festival to their best friends. Most choose to celebrate the entire day in the loving company of their dearest friends. Recollecting sweet memories of the time spent together and catching up with their lives over a cup of coffee is the idea of ideal Friendship Day celebration for many.



Friends separated by geographical distances, call up their friends to express love and warmth for each other and to wish a "Happy Friendship Day". With more and more people getting hooked to the net, many people also choose to chat with their friends with the help of Internet. Sending SMS and Friendship Day e-cards is another popular way of greetings friends.



Friendship Day Celebrations in Schools and Colleges

Friendship Day celebrations are particularly marked in schools and colleges in India. Euphoria of the day sets in days before the festival as everybody gets excited to wish their best friends in their own special way. Children make Friendship Day Cards or other special gift to thank their friends for their wonderful presence in their life. Exchange of Friendship Bands is the other most prominent feature of Friendship Day celebrations. Friends vie with each other as to who gets the most stylish band or who gets the maximum number of bands.



In several colleges, special programs are also organized to mark the occasion. Most of these programs and events intend to give youth an opportunity to dance and sing with friends and have a good time.



Friendship Day Parties

Following their counterparts in the west, youth in India too mark Friendship Day by participating in Friendship Day parties or organizing bashes for their friends. Major crowd for Friendship Day can be seen in discotheques and pubs where people dance with friends on fast pace music and cherish the loving company of their pals. Such parties also give youth a chance to make new friends and widen their friendship circle. At present such bashes are more popular in metros and other big cities, however, youth in small towns too are warming up to the idea of partying on Friendship Day.



Commercialization of Friendship Day

Just as in US and several other countries, Friendship Day has been commercialized to a great extent in India. Days before the festival, gift marketers run an extensive campaign to lure the people to buy cards and gifts for their friends. Restaurateurs too try to entice people by offering special discounts or holding bashes. Several people criticize such excessive campaigning. They feel commercialization has marred to the idea behind observing Friendship Day and has turned it into a mere formality. Some people however feel that advertising campaign has helped to generate awareness about Friendship Day festival and the idea of having a day dedicated to friends.









Friendship Day Celebration Ideas

Friendship Day is the perfect occasion to let your friends know how much they are needed and loved. The day calls for celebrations and enjoyment in the company of closed pals and chums!! The best way to celebrate Friendship Day would be to spend the day in a way your friendship group enjoys the most. In case you want to be creative and do something different to mark this significant day, here are some Friendship Day celebration ideas just for you. So go ahead and have a fabulous and over-the-top Friendship Day celebration





Organize a Friendship Day Party

The most special way to celebrate Friendship Day would be hold a party for your new friends and old and have a blast. However, this idea needs a little planning and effort as you need to decide where to party, how to party, what to include in menu, what to play on the jukebox so on and so forth. Once that's done, call up your buddies and just have your fling !



Tips for Party Planning

· Design a special invite for friends. You may include cartoons, jokes and nice quotes to set the mood of the party and tempt your friends to come over.

· Inform your friends about the nature of the party whether it will be a day party or over-night party. Picnicking would be yet another sprightly thought for your Friendship Day party.

· Once the kind of your Friendship Day party is fixed, decide on the menu. In case of a picnic plan for cooking with your friends. It will be great fun.

· You may also plan out indoor or outdoor game session with your friends.

· Also incorporate a music session with your friends. You may chose to play the music yourself, list to music or dance on it depending on the preference of your friends club.

· Keep the camera ready and capture the precious moments on your Friendship Day party.

· Bind your buds in the friendship bond with the friendship bands. You can make them yourself or pick them up from the stores.

More Friendship Day Celebration Ideas

Here are some ideas of celebrating Friendship Day. The idea is to spend spend quality time with your friends and have a great time.



Camping Out

Camp out can be your chance to check out on your favorite sets of outdoor sports-trekking, beach volleyball, basketball, baseball, rugby, swimming, surfing and more in the company of your best pals. Just choose a sport which your group enjoys and take a dive into a zesty, action-packed Friendship Day celebration !



Sharing Thoughts and Views

For many the best kind of Friendship Day celebration is perhaps a heart-to-heart talk with a soul mate. Sharing everything that has mattered to you and your friend for so long and for so many days and catching up with each others life is a relaxing way of celebrating Friendship Day.



Recollect Sweet Memories

A great way to celebrate Friendship Day in a memorable way would be make an album of your most intimate and special moments spent together. This can also be the most touching Friendship Day activity for you and your friend as it will help you to rewind and relive your time-tested bonding.



Make a Poster

A great idea to celebrate friendship in a creative manner would be to create a poster on Friendship Day. For instance you may paint your name and your friend's name on it creatively and revel in the joy when your friend flashes that million-dollar smile.







Friendship Day Gift Ideas

Friendship Day Gifts play a significant role in strengthening the relationship you share with your loved ones. Friendship Gifts must therefore be selected with love and care. A friendship present need not be precious and expensive ones but it must definitely exude love and warmth you feel for your friend. In case you are finding it hard to decide a perfect Friendship Gift for your best friend, here some popular Friendship Day Gift ideas just for you.







Friendship Bands

Friendship Band is one of the most popular Friendship Gift. Many colorful friendship bands hit the stores much ahead of Friendship Day. Instead of the conventional wristbands, one can go for the friendship bracelets which come in attractive designs for both boys and girls. This way your Friendship Day can stay longer with your friends besides it works as token of your love.



Flowers

Fresh Flowers are the best and the easiest way to convey emotions and hence they make a wonderful gift for friends. If you are invited for a Friendship Day do, carry an attractive bouquet of pretty flowers for that heart touching impact. Ideally, you must choose your friends favorite flower. In case your friend does not have a specific choice, you may safely go in for Yellow Roses as these are officially recognized as the Friendship Day flowers.



Show Pieces

Cute and attractive show pieces are another extremely popular Friendship Day Gift. Depending upon your choice one can go in for glass, metals, wood, paper mache or crystal show pieces. Besides, making a delightful Friendship Day Gift, decorative pieces help to create beautiful memories.



Chocolates

Chocolates makes a yummy and delicious Friendship Day gift for foodies. Go in for a hamper of your friend's favorite chocolate to bring that million dollar smile on his/her face. A zestful idea would be to make a decorated friendship basket consisting of your friend's favorite gift items like chocolates, candy, cookies, a bunch of flowers, etc.



Soft Toys

Soft Toys make a cute Friendship gift. They are especially appreciated by girls who love to decorate their rooms with loads of soft toys and animals gifted by their loved ones. Go in for your friends favorite cartoon character to leave a lasting impression.



Photo Frames and Photo Albums

Photo frames and photo albums are a much sought after Friendship Day Gift. You may place a picture of you along with your friend or pictures of good time spend together to create beautiful memories.



Books, CDs

Books make a thoughtful Friendship Gift idea for friends fond of reading. But it is important to keep in mind the choice of your friend while selecting the book. Generally, you may give books of quotes or inspirational books.



Alternatively, you may gift music cassettes or CDs to friends fond of music. You may also give personalized CD by recording your friends favorite songs or songs that both of you enjoy. Games CDs are also a popular Friendship Day gift these days.



Stationery

Stationery items like pens, diaries, letter or writing pad, planner, organizer etc make a wonderful Friendship Gift. Besides, one can gift utility items like watch, key rings, pen stand, telephone index, electronic notebook and so forth.









When is Friendship Day?

Celebrate Friendship Day 2010 on August 1, Sunday

Human beings are social creatures and have always valued the importance of friends in their lives. To celebrate this noble feeling it was deemed fit to have a day dedicated to friends and friendship. Accordingly, first Sunday of August was declared as a holiday in US in honor of friends by a Proclamation made by US Congress in 1935. Since then, World Friendship Day is being celebrated every year on the first Sunday in the month of August.







This beautiful idea of celebrating Friendship Day was joyfully accepted by several other countries across the world. And today, many countries including India, celebrate the first Sunday of August as Friendship Day every year. Celebrating Friendship Day in a traditional manner, people meet their friends and exchange cards and flowers to honor their friends. Lot many social and cultural organization too celebrate the occasion and mark Friendship Day by hosting programs and get together.



It may be noted that some associations celebrate Friendship Day in an entirely different time of the year and with different customs. For instance,

· National Friendship Day is on the first Sunday in August.

· Women's Friendship Day is on the third Sunday in August

· International Friendship Month is February

· Old Friends, New Friends Week is the third week of May



However, what is remarkably same is the idea behind the celebration of the day. Everywhere, people express love for their friends and cherish their presence in life.