“A friend is one that knows you as you are, understands where you have been, accepts what you have become, and still gently allows you to grow.”
A beautiful quote by William Shakespeare that portrays the importance of friendship in one’s life; perfectly! A friend is not another person we meet in the struggle of life; that person is a milestone that must be cherished. And to celebrate those wonderful beings, we celebrate Friendship Day every year, and this year, the day is falling on 4th August 2024.
The day is solely devoted to the people who make our lives worth living. Speaking from personal experience, I can not go without sharing my problems with my best friend, and I know that you can’t too! They most certainly do not make it any simpler, but life is a lot better with them in it, and if you celebrate with a friendship day cakes, the day becomes a lot better. So, such important people deserved their own day, and you must know everything there is to know about this fantastic occasion.
But before we move forward, I would like to dedicate this blog to all the amazingly marvelous friends out there who are loyal, sweet, caring, and helping their mates do great things; you guys are the real heroes!
The History of Friendship Day
The history of such an amazing day is just as awesome as it is! You may find it interesting that there are not one but two Friendship Days. Worldwide this day is observed on 30the July, but in countries like India, the United States of America, Malaysia, UAE, etc., the day is celebrated on the first Sunday of August month. The idea first popped into the market in 1930 when the founder of the Hallmark greeting cards celebrated it on August 2nd. However, after the initial buzz was over, people realized that it was just a publicity stunt by the owner to sell more cards, and the idea got in the cold box for the next 28 years.
Then the dust-filled file of the day was picked up by Dr. Ramon Artemio Bracho on July 20th, 1958. And the proposal to celebrate a global Friendship Day was presented by the World Friendship Crusade on 30th July 1958.
This crusade included Dr. Bracho and his dear friends, who sat together in the town of Puerto Pinasco and thought of this organization to promote friendship and kindness among people.
Fast forward to 1998, the official brand ambassador of this wonderful day was chosen and that is “Winnie The Pooh!”. Yes, the cute little honey-loving bear is the official ambassador of Friendship Day. This declaration was made by the UN’s General Secretary of the time, Mr. Kofi Annan’s wife, Mrs. Nane Annan.
Finally, on the day of 27th April 2011, the UN’s General Assembly declared 30th July as the official International Friendship Day. The motive behind this was two-layered; one was to promote friendship among nations, cultures, ethnicities, and humans without any discrimination, and the second was to attract and educate the younger population to become a part of one world.
Significance and Celebration:
One cannot capture in words the significance of this day & importance of friends in our lives! This may sound like a cliche, but Friendship Day is an important event of the year, and the significance can be seen in the enthusiasm with which it is celebrated. The day pays respect to a relationship that is unique from any other you have. A famous proverb goes, “Friends are the family you choose!” and I can not help but find that statement to be entirely correct. The day reminds you of the people you vibe the most with, the people who put their ego aside for your sake, and you would do the same for them. No matter where you met them; school, college, workspace, or the internet; if you get to experience the beautiful bond, then you are very lucky.
The motive of this day was to promote global peace, kindness, support, and acceptance among every human that walks on this magical planet. And in recent times, we need it more than ever! So, embrace the wonderful celebration, wish your friends a delicious happy Friendship Day cake, and yes, don’t forget to get a band for them!
Wrapping Words:
So, now you know the date, history, significance, and the reason why is friendship day celebrated and cherished all over the world.
So, as we celebrate this joyous occasion, let’s show our appreciation to our friends by wishing them with a heartfelt expression of love. Embrace the wonderful celebration and cherish the bonds that make life truly truly truly meaningful. To all the amazingly marvellous friends out there, you guys are the real heroes! Happy Friendship Day!
