National Friendship Day – August 6, 2023

 National Friendship Day – August 6, 2023:

National Friendship Day occurs every year on the first Sunday of August 6, 2023 and celebrates the importance of loving, platonic relationships. Friendships are the purest type of human relationships. For more than a century, we’ve celebrated the strength of friendship, and thanks to social media, we’re able to continue celebrating with our friends no matter where they are in the world. If you want to buy a friend something special to mark the occasion then check our list of great gifts for your best friend.

HISTORY OF NATIONAL FRIENDSHIP DAY:

National New Friends Day seems to have developed out of several existing holidays built around friends and friendship. Generally, there are several variations on a theme with National Make a Friend Day on February 11, Friendship Day and International Friendship Day both celebrated annually either on July 30 or August 1. However, National New Friends Day, seems to be an internet-generated holiday. There’s no actual date of first appearance but there are several related days with interesting origins. So, read on.

All of these days seem to spring out of a promotional effort by Hallmark Cards’ founder, Joyce Hall in the 1920s as a marketing tool to consumers. Unfortunately, a skeptical public never really embraced the idea of a friendship day. By the 1920s, consumers were influenced by evolving movements in art and film and probably the promotion of friendship was viewed as a bit gimmicky. This started a downward spiral for a Friendship Day resulting in little interest in the 1930s. By the 1940s, Friendship Day all but disappeared. Still, Paraguay initiated World Friendship Day in 1958. Everybody needs friends. 

Then, something strange happened. Friendship Day became a “thing” in Asia with lots of interest and strong popularity. With the rise of the internet, GIFS and memes, it’s easy to cross physical boundaries to make friends across countries and even continents. By 2011, the General Assembly of the United Nations got in on the action with another day, International Friendship Day, declaring its annual observance on July 30. This day is also celebrated on the first Sunday in August.