All you need to know about Friendship Day
Whole world is celebrating Friendship Day today. While everyone around you is wishing "Happy Friendship Day!!", and if you are still wondering as to what on earth ‘Friendship Day’ actually means, then you have landed to a right place wherein we bring to you detailed information about this special day.
Well, the meaning and significance of this special day is hidden in its name itself.
When is Friendship Day Celebrated
Friendship Day is celebrated on the initial Sunday of the month of August every year. However, the official or formal date of this day is still surrounded by controversy.
History of Friendship Day
The basic concept of Friendship Day was coined back in the year 1930 by Joyce Hall, the founder of Hallmark Cards, Inc. After learning this, you might think that this day is nothing but another casual holiday, which was created in order to sell greeting cards. Well, your thought is absolutely genuine. The Greeting Card National Association had put in much effort for promoting the concept of Friendship Day initially, in the early 1920s. However, the customers weren’t interested in purchasing the cards, believing that it was just a gimmick.
Initially, Hall wanted Friendship Day to be observed on 2nd August. However, the World Friendship Crusade struggled for years, convincing the United Nations to alter the date of celebration to 30th July. Finally, on 27th July 2011, the United Nations General Assembly agreed on making 30th July the formal date of Friendship Day.
In spite of this, the date was still altered from one year to the other in the United States. For instance, in the year 2016, Friendship Day was observed on Sunday, 7th August, but in the year 2017, it was observed on 6th August. From this it is clear that people supported the point of observing Friendship Day on the initial Sunday of August, rather than observing it on a single set date.
A fact that makes things even more confusing is that in the United States, the whole month of February has been proclaimed to be Friendship Month. So, while the world may celebrate the relationship of friendship on just a single day in the month of August, you can even choose to observe it throughout the whole month of February.
Friendship Day is observed in the United States, India, Asia, and certain areas of South America. This makes it an international celebration instead of a national event.
Different Trends of Celebrating Friendship Day
There is no specific way of celebrating Friendship Day. People usually celebrate this day according to their choice, convenience, and budget.
Although some people do acknowledge Friendship Day, yet the very idea of it has more or less died out. Social media has lent a hand for reviving the holiday to a certain extent, as people like sharing the Friendship Day videos and pictures with one another on sites, such as Twitter and Instagram.
Most of the people choose to meet their best friends in person for exchanging greeting cards, gifts, and flowers among themselves. Many of the cultural and social organizations host multiple concerts, events, and programs for celebrating this beautiful and special occasion.
Over the period of time, Friendship Day celebration has become much more commercialized. Today, people like buying special and customized floral arrangements or bouquets for their friends. The yellow and pink roses are considered to be the flowers of friendship and are exchanged among friends on this day. People also invest in exotic chocolates to add an extra dose of sweetness to their relationship with their friends and make their loved ones feel valued.
In addition to chocolates and flowers, people also love gifting personalized pieces of jewellery to their friends. Friendship bands are also exchanged among friends as a traditional way of celebration of this big day.
Even restaurants, bars, dance clubs, and cafes offer exclusive coupons and discounts for enhancing the Friendship Day celebratory mood of the young generation. Youths flock to these places to celebrate the day with a lot of fun. They spend good time and special moments with their beloved friends, drinking and partying hard to make their celebrations memorable until the next time they meet their friends.
