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When Is International Friendship Day Celebrated?

 
Mary Smith
By Mary Smith. August 1, 2022
When Is International Friendship Day Celebrated?

There is a fairly strong argument that claims we have too many national and international days. While celebrations for traditional events such as New Year or harvest festivals have strong practical and cultural importance, perhaps events like International Nose Picking day may not have the same cultural heft. This does not mean there isn't space for new ideas, especially when they are more inclusive. This is the case with International Friendship Day. Not only does it celebrate one of the most important aspects of a person's life, it applies to pretty much everyone.

At oneHOWTO, we ask when is International Friendship Day? We look at the reasons behind its creation, as well as what countries tend to celebrate it the most.

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Contents

  1. When is International Friendship Day celebrated?
  2. Why is International Friendship Day celebrated?
  3. History of International Friendship Day
  4. How to celebrate International Friendship Day

When is International Friendship Day celebrated?

The International Day of Friendship is celebrated on different dates, but the date of 30th July is the one officially selected by the General Assembly of the United Nations. We will explain more about the history of International Friendship Day in the sections below.

South Africa celebrates the day of friendship in April and celebrations are in June for Ukraine. Some countries also celebrate the date in February. This is because it is seen as a useful alternative to Valentine's Day for those who are single at the time of the event. Countries which celebrate International Friendship Day on Valentine's Day include Estonia, Finland, Venezuela, Ecuador and Mexico.

In Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil, the International Day of Friendship is celebrated on 20th July. On the other hand, in Spain and Paraguay they dedicate 30th July to Friendship Day. Regarding Peru, choose the first Saturday of each July to celebrate this date dedicated to friendship. In India, Friendship Day is celebrated on the first Sunday of August.

As you can see, International Friendship Day is celebrated on various dates depending on the country. You may have also noticed that it is not commonly celebrated in countries such as the USA and the UK. This is in contrast to many South American countries in which it is almost an equivalent celebration of festivals such as Christmas. There they have gift giving, family meals and other celebrations which are taken very seriously.

Why is International Friendship Day celebrated?

International Friendship Day is celebrated to honor the union of humans in friendship. Moreover, it is done so to celebrate the fact that people of diverse backgrounds and cultures can unite in friendship, despite their difficulties. True friendship is based on unification, breaking barriers and solidarity. For this reason, its celebration is encouraged by internationalists who want to encourage friendship between nations.

The official recognition of the International Day of Friendship was an initiative promoted in 2011 by the United Nations General Assembly. The eventual proclamation of 30th July as International Day of Friendship or Friend's Day was thanks to an initial proposal by a group known as the World Crusade of Friendship.

The objective of the UN with the International Day of Friendship is to convey this feeling as the best tool to achieve peace, eradicate poverty and violence. In doing so, it contributes to the construction of a more sustainable and just global society.

Before we find out more, you might want to use your opportunity to assess your relationships and fins out how to be a good friend.

History of International Friendship Day

A group of friends got together in 1958 to celebrate Arbor Day in Paraguay, specifically in Puerto Pinasco. Dr. Artemio Bracho was director at that time of the hospital corresponding to the Social Welfare Institute of Puerto Pinasco. It was he who first proposed to establish a day for the celebration of friendship between human beings.

It was on that day the World Friendship Crusade was founded. This is an international civil organization whose motto is as follows:

For a better and more humane world.

In that same year of 1958, the First Week of Friendship was celebrated in Paraguay from 21st to the 27th July.

Thanks to the involvement of the Ministry of Education and Culture, the Paraguayan government took the necessary steps to celebrate the International Day of Friendship. This celebration found popularity in other Latin American countries before finally reaching the United Nations.

The countries that celebrate Friendship Day more actively consider this date as one of the most popular events of the year. This is especially so among a young population who spend a large part of the day with their most special friends, sharing gifts, dedicated cards and enjoying games.

Unfortunately, it doesn't explain why International Friendship Day is not as popular in regions such as the US, Europe, Africa and other parts of the world. This is despite the UN encouraging all member states to take up celebrating the day. However, it is also possible that more time is needed for its popularity to grow since it was only officially established in 2011.

When Is International Friendship Day Celebrated? - History of International Friendship Day

How to celebrate International Friendship Day

International Friendship Day can be celebrated in many ways. The only real proviso is that you do it with at least one other friend, but ideally with as many friends as possible. If you can, you should get together with your best friends and simply do whatever it is you enjoy the most. However, if you are looking for some specific ways to celebrate International Friendship Day, oneHOWTO has you covered:

  • Get in touch with old friends: pick up the phone and meet up with friends with whom you have lost touch. If you can't see each other in person, it's always nice to chat with them or see speak to each other on video call.
  • Invisible friend: giving each other gifts among your group of friends is a good way to celebrate the bond that unites you. Chance and surprised faces will predominate during the gift giving.
  • Send friendship cards: writing a letter or a card to your best friend to express your feelings of gratitude for them is a great way to celebrate International Friendship Day. Not only do you get to express something we all too often take for granted, but they have a memento at which they can look back in future.
  • Dinner with friends: it is not necessary to throw a big party to have a great time. A good dinner and a quiet conversation with your friends is enough to properly enjoy Friendship Day.
  • Get a tattoo: this is not for everyone, but getting a tattoo to commemorate a friendship is one idea you can celebrating the person closest to you. Check out our ideas for friendship tattoos to get come inspiration.

If you have your friends together to celebrate International Friendship Day, you may want to play some games. Here we provide assistance with our articles on absurd questions to ask your friends or how to play online games with friends, if you can't physically be together.

If you want to read similar articles to When Is International Friendship Day Celebrated?, we recommend you visit our Festivities & Celebrations category.

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When Is International Friendship Day Celebrated?