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Friendship History
The tradition of celebrating Friendship Day began
in 1935 when the US Congress decided to
dedicate a day in the honor of friends. Though it
is not known exactly what were the reasons that
went into the making of this day, the
retrospection of the world scenario of those
times can lead us to an understanding. With the
devastating effects of the First World War still
showing and increasing hostilities, mistrust and
hatred between countries providing the perfect
conditions for another imminent battle, there was
a greater need for friendship and camaraderie
not only among nations but also among
individuals.
Hence, the US Congress decided to designate
the first Sunday of the month of August as
Friendship Day and with a formal proclamation in
1935, officially declared the occasion a holiday
dedicated in the honour of friends and friendship.
Since then, celebration of National Friendship
Day became an annual event. The lofty idea of
honoring the beautiful relationship of friendship
caught on with the people, particularly the
youngsters all over the country, and in no time
Friendship Day became a highly popular festival.
But the success of this wonderful occasion was
not to be limited to the US alone. With time,
several other countries followed suit in adopting
the tradition of dedicating a day to the cause of
friendship. The beautiful idea of having a day in
the honor of friends was joyously taken over by
several other countries across the world. With
more and more nations joining in the
celebrations, Friendship Day soon became
International Friendship Day.
Today, Friendship Day is enthusiastically
celebrated every year by many countries. The
occasion is observed on the first Sunday of
every August. The traditional celebrations include
meeting with friends and exchanging of cards,
flowers and gifts. Many social and cultural
organizations also celebrate Friendship Day by
hosting programs and get togethers. Special
performances by rock bands are also organized
in countries like the US to enhance the
jubilations.
In 1997, the United Nations named Winnie - the
Pooh, the famous cartoon character as the
world's Ambassador of Friendship.
It is interesting to note how some associations
observe Friendship Day with different customs,
by giving the festival different names and
holding it in times unlike that of the actual
festival.
For example, National Friendship Day is held on
the first Sunday in August; Women's Friendship
Day is on the third Sunday in August; the third
week of May is the Old Friends, New Friends
Week and the whole of February is designated as
the International Friendship Month.
These days, Friendship Day is celebrated with a
lot of fanfare and great expenses. Just as in US
and several other countries, the festival has been
greatly commercialized.
Days before the festival, card and gift companies
launch an extensive campaign to lure people into
buying cards and gift items for their friends.
Companies indulge in aggressive marketing to
target youngsters, the main celebrators of
festivals as these, and entice them into
purchasing expensive articles for their pals.
Restaurateurs too offer special discounts to
make the most of the time. This marketing
strategy has been severely criticized by many
people and is a subject of debate every year.
Many feel that such rampant commercialization
has marred the very concept of Friendship Day
and has turned it into a mere formality. Many on
the other hand think that greater hype and
hoopla around the occasion has helped to
generate awareness about Friendship Day
festival which was till recently a low-key affair
(compared to occasions as "Mother's Day" and
"Father's Day") and thus promote friendship and
brotherhood.
The popular customs of Friendship Day includes
handing over roses, especially the pink and
yellow ones. The day is observed with great
exhilaration and merriment, with friends throwing
parties, gorging on lip-smacking dishes and
drinking hard (be it at home or at restaurants
that offer special discounts for this occasion).
A highly popular thing associated with the day is
the well-known Friendship Band - the modern day
token of friendship that friends gift to one
another to form an everlasting bond. Friendship
bands are favorite items for youngsters and are
available in stores all over the country. Girls go
in for friendship bracelets instead of the
conventional friendship wristbands. Friendship
Poems and Friendship Day Gifts are exchanged
between best friends to renew the bond of
friendship and express gratitude and love for
each other. These are new ways of celebration
of this day that the GenX has invented.
Since its inception in 1935, Friendship Day and
Friendship Day celebrations have come a long
way. But however much the ways of celebration
have changed, the basic idea behind the
occasion remains the same. Friendship Day
remains the time when you acknowledge your
friends' contribution in your life, express love for
them, cherish their presence in your life and pay
them a tribute.
Today, Friendship Day is being celebrated around
the globe, across diverse cultures and social
segments.
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