International Friendship Day is celebrated on July 30, 2024. A Day of Friendship had been initiated 1958 in Paraguay: on a meeting with friends Dr. Artemio Bracho suggested to establish a special day for the appreciation of friendship. From that idea the initiative called “Cruzada Mundial de la Amistad” arose. Meanwhile Friendship Days were celebrated on different dates by other nations, too. In 2011 finally the United Nations declared International Friendship Day which is since then celebrated on a worldwide basis.
On International Friendship Day the great importance of friendship should be recognized. It is about the friendship between two individuals but also about friendly relationships between two or more nations and cultures. According to UN General Secretary Ban Ki-Moon, International Friendship Day aims to strengthen humaneness in general and to support people’s welfare. The day should be celebrated in harmony of cultural conventions.
The organization of activities and events that would support international solidarity and community, as well as understanding each other, is a good way to honor International Friendship Day. But it can also be observed very personally by taking the time to call or meet a friend. International Friendship Day calls to spend some time with friends and let them know how much they and their friendship mean to you.
Defining friendship is not easy because it used in many different surroundings and the meaning is always interpreted individually. So International Friendship Day can also be interpreted variously. Anyway a friendship is a positive relationship between two people that would call each other friends. The bases of that relationship are trust, appreciation and affection. But friendship can be shaped in numerous ways, include various aspects and levels of importance.