What would we be without our friends? Can you imagine life without a shoulder to cry on as you reel from a bad breakup? Or a companion to hog all the junk food with as you watch the scariest movies while hiding undercover. Friends are the family we choose, and it’s time we pay this underrated relationship admiration and honor with a month-long celebration. We celebrate the spirit of friendship and companionship during International Friendship Month, which takes place in February.
HISTORY OF INTERNATIONAL FRIENDSHIP MONTH
Earmarking days of the year to cherish important relationships is instrumental to our culture. But not every special day can be inclusive to all. While Father’s Day and Mother’s Day leave some people behind, there is one celebration we can universally be a part of — friendship. Long-distance, neighbors, short, long, family, acquaintances, and so on, friends come in all shapes and sizes, and boy should we be thankful for them.
Renditions of Friendships Day have been in celebration since the early 20th century. In 1930, an American entrepreneur and founder of Hallmark Cards, Joyce Hall, led an effort to designate August 2 as National Friendship Day to celebrate the spirit of friendship that embodies our lives. His efforts were shot down by critics as gimmicks of business promotion. It wasn’t until the late 1950s when South American countries picked up on the trend and proclaimed days of the year in celebration of relationships.
In 1958, Paraguay became the first country to announce Friendship Day, which was to be celebrated on July 30. As the world reels from unprecedented times, we need international solidarity now more than ever. The friendship between nations and their citizens is essential to global prosperity, and celebrating this spirit of brotherhood and commonality is the key essence behind the day.
While we celebrate Friendship Day on the first Sunday of August, the month-long celebration of friendship in unison with the world falls in February. The origin and designation of this observation remain unclear, but the intention does not. International Friendship Day honors the beauty and necessity of friendships in our lives and is a call to bridge the gap between strangers and acquaintances.
Credit: national today
