[Sunday, 30 July 2023] Location: United Nations
The International Friendship Day :
On July 30, the United Nations observes International Friendship Day, a worldwide celebration of friendship. It is a day to celebrate friendship and community, and how both is valued and honoured in many cultures.
This is not to be confused with National Friendship Day, which is observed on February 15 in the United States.
Background :
In the United States, the inventor of Hallmark Cards proposed a day to honour friendship in 1930. The Greeting Card National Association endorsed this proposal, but people were extremely hesitant to commemorate such a day since it was perceived as an attempt to establish a commercialised holiday to encourage people to buy greeting cards.
The World Friendship Crusade, an organisation dedicated to promoting peace through friendship, proposed the concept of a worldwide festival of friendship in 1958. For many years, this group worked with the United Nations to declare July 30 officially International Friendship Day. It wasn’t until July 27, 2011, that the United Nations General Assembly resolved to establish July 30 as World Day of Peace International Friendship Day.
The day encourages all United Nations member nations to mark Friendship Day in accordance with their own customs and culture, and it also fosters friendship among all people, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, or gender.
How is International Friendship Day observed?
The United Nations supports and encourages groups and governments to undertake community events and activities that promote friendship and bonding on International Friendship Day.
To commemorate International Friendship Day, discover if someone in your area is hosting one of these activities and attend them to meet new people. Alternatively, call your old pals and plan something with them, meet them for breakfast or invite them to your place, and spend the day establishing new memories and laughing.