The International Day of Friendship is a day to promote friendship’s role across all cultures. To mark this special day, the UN encourages community groups, organizations, and governments to hold initiatives, activities, and events that promote reconciliation, mutual understanding, and solidarity.

The International Day of Friendship is held on the first Sunday of August each year.

We live in a complicated world today. Between cultural discord, discrimination, lack of trust, mistreatment, and miscommunications, it seems that prioritizing peace is something that has less of a presence in society around the world today. Because of this, the United Nations has decided to remind everyone about all of the great and the good in the world. They did this by bringing the International Day of Friendship to our attention in 2011. This special day goes beyond connecting people, building bridges amongst ideologies, countries, and cultures.

Connecting and friendship are synonymous with bonding. Building those common bonds goes beyond sharing a favorite pastime, characteristic, or trait with another person or group. It also includes understanding inclusion and diversity and promoting a worldwide commitment. Music, tastes, political views, differences of opinions, and physical appearances are not reasons for people to be separated. The International Day of Friendship is all about promoting togetherness and kindness, bringing people together.

Why Friendship Matters

There may be times when you think that you don’t need friendship! Maybe someone has let you down or you want some alone time. However, friendship matters! It benefits our lives in so many different ways. So, let’s take a look at the reasons why friendship is important…

• Achieve your goals – A strong social circle can help you achieve your goals, whether you are trying to nab a promotion at work or want to shed a few pounds. If you have supportive friends with similar goals, it can help you to get to where you want to be.
• Enhances emotional resilience – Sharing good times with people you love and having a network of friends to help you through those bad times makes it easier for you to navigate the ups and downs that life inevitably throws at us.
• Boost your brainpower – The University of Michigan has found that hanging out with other people – even just for ten minutes – will improve your ability to solve problems and your brainpower.
• Get a better night’s sleep – Did you know that friendship even helps improve your ZZZs? That’s right; we have the University of Chicago to thank for this study. They found that people are more restless in bed if they don’t socialize.
• Friendship makes you healthier – Last but not least, friendship is good for your health! A story carried out at the University of North Carolina actually found that people without strong connections have higher abdominal obesity rates and blood pressure.

Some Of Our Favorite Friendship Quotes

A friend is someone who gives you total freedom to be yourself — and especially to feel, or not feel. Whatever you happen to be feeling at any moment is fine with them. That’s what real love amounts to – letting a person be what he really is.

Jim Morrison

It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

I think if I’ve learned anything about friendship, it’s to hang in, stay connected, fight for them, and let them fight for you. Don’t walk away, don’t be distracted, don’t be too busy or tired, don’t take them for granted. Friends are part of the glue that holds life and faith together. Powerful stuff.

John Katz

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.

William Shakespeare

Friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain. It’s not something you learn in school. But if you haven’t learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven’t learned anything.

Muhammad Ali

5 FACTS ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF FRIENDSHIP THAT WILL BLOW YOUR MIND

1. Celebrating friendship started with Hallmark

   When Hallmark introduced greeting cards to us in the 1930s, the idea of reaching out to someone to let them know that they crossed your mind or were worthy of a quick “hello” through the mail soon followed.

2. Being a better friend

   Reflections are critical for growth, and growing a community that reflects who you want to be is so important — this is a great time to step back and reflect on those connections that already exist in your life.

3. New friends

   All friendships start with a conversation — this is the perfect day to reconnect with old friends or open yourself to new connections.

4. Some countries have earlier celebrations.

   While July 30 is the day designated by the UN, there are some countries that choose to have earlier, extended celebrations in July, August, and/or April, such as South America, Bangladesh, India, and Malaysia.

5. Anyone can celebrate

   Learning to dispel hatred and be accepting of people with different backgrounds early is a great way to teach kids how to be accepting of others, be open to learning new things, and appreciate, as well as spread, kindness is a great trait to instill early.