Human beings, as social animals, have always valued
the importance and need of friends in their lives. Nobody on Earth can
live without having even a single friend. This noble feeling of
friendship was given national acceptance by declaring the first Sunday
of August as a holiday in the United States, named Friendship Day, to
honor friendship. This was officially proclaimed by US Congress in 1935.
Since then, International Friendship Day is being celebrated on the
first Sunday of August every year. By this standard, in 2008, the date
of Happy Friendship Day will be 3rd August.
Friendship Day has gained popularity across the world and is celebrated
with great enthusiasm in a large number of countries, including India.
Popular traditions followed on the occasion of this day include exchange
of gifts, cards, flowers, friendship bands, etc. People also dedicate
poems, thoughts and quotes in the honor of their friends and express
their affection. Friendship Day parties, programs and get-together are
also arranged by various associations to add color to the celebrations.
Apart from International Friendship Day, there are few more days
especially dedicated to friendship. These include Women's Friendship
Day, celebrated on the third Sunday of August and International
Friendship Month, which is celebrated in February. Old Friends and New
Friends Week is also celebrated by some associations, in the third week
of May. The one thing that requires special mention is that all these
days celebrating the importance and need of friendship have a same
underlying idea, that of expressing love for our friends.
