2 August 2020
Friendship Day celebrations take place on the first Sunday of August every year. The tradition of dedicating a day in honor of friends began in US in 1935. Gradually the festival gained popularity and today Friendship Day is celebrated in large number of countries including India.
There is not much literature on Friendship Day history as we celebrate today. However, there are numerous folktales and several instance in mythological legends that shows that friends and friendship have been valued since the beginning of civilized world. As an intrinsically social creature, men love to make friends to carry further this process of socialization.
Considering the valuable role friends play in our life it was deemed to fit to have a day dedicated to friends and friendship. The United States Congress, in 1935, proclaimed first Sunday of August as the National Friendship Day. Since then, celebration of National Friendship Day became an annual event. The noble idea of honoring the beautiful relationship of friendship caught on with the people and soon Friendship Day became a hugely popular festival.
Following the popularity and success of Friendship Day in US, several other countries adopted the tradition of dedicating a day to friends. Today, Friendship Day is enthusiastically celebrated by several countries across the world including India.
In 1997, the United Nations named Winnie – the Pooh as the world’s Ambassador of Friendship.
Importance of Friendship in Bible: The Bible, the primary text of the western civilization, reflects upon friendship as the bond that forms the foundation to human faith, trust and companionship. Following verses from the bible aptly portray the importance of friends
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7
“Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13-15
Importance of Friendship in Mahabharata
In the famous Hindu epic ‘Mahabharata’, Lord Krishna demonstrates the many colors of friendship – affection, romance, brotherhood, protection, guidance, intimacy and even teasing. Friendship is all about these and much more. The character of Karna is the embodiment of friendship who prepared to fight even his own brothers for the sack of friendship.
Friendship is divine. Friendship is always giving and not asking or taking.
Friendship is one of the most beautiful relationships that has evolved since the beginning of the human race. Other than immediate blood relations, friends are the most valued persons in one’s life. Friendship usually develops with the same age groups with more or less identical nature and interests. Friends usually spend whatever time they find in pursuing their common interests, confiding in each other about their joys and sorrows and coming to the help of those who are in need emotionally or otherwise. It is but natural that one particular day in a year has been set aside to celebrate this beautiful relationship.
Friendship is a great feeling. As long as we feel friendly towards our fellow human beings and all other living beings there will be no hostility and all of us can lead a harmonious joyful life.