Friendship Day 2022: Why is it celebrated on first Sunday of August? Know history, significance

HAPPY FRIENDSHIP DAY 2022: We can feel Samantha Jones, when she said in Sex and the City, "We made a deal ages ago. Men, babies, it doesn’t matter… We’re soulmates.” You can of course change the word 'Men' with 'Spouses/Partners'. And the fact remains, friendship is that solid relationship that we choose to form and our friends remain our constant support through thick and thin, and through the different stages of our lives! While July 30 has been designated as international friendship day, India celebrates the day on the first Sunday of August. Therefore, this year it is being celebrated on August 7.

History of Friendship Day

In the year 1930, the idea of Friendship Day was first introduced by Joyce Hall, the founder of Hallmark Cards. While Joyce proposed August 2 be celebrated as Friendship Day, the idea did not gain ground in the United States as people thought that it was a plot to sell greetings cards. In 1958, World Friendship Crusade also proposed the idea, but even then, it wasn't widely successful. It was in 2011 that the United Nations officially declared international friendships day. While that was on July 30, India continues to celebrate Friendship Day on the first Sunday of August.

Significance of Friendship Day: The United Nations

"Through friendship — by accumulating bonds of camaraderie and developing strong ties of trust — we can contribute to the fundamental shifts that are urgently needed to achieve lasting stability, weave a safety net that will protect us all, and generate passion for a better world where all are united for the greater good," the United Nations mentions.

Top 5 quotes on Friendship:

Friendship is certainly the finest balm for the pangs of disappointed love. - Jane Austen

A friend knows the song in my heart and sings it to me when my memory fails. - Donna Roberts

 would rather walk with a friend in the dark, than alone in the light. - Helen Keller

Some people arrive and make such a beautiful impact on your life, you can barely remember what life was like without them. - Anna Taylor

Rare as is true love, true friendship is rarer. - Jean de La Fontaine