Friendship Day is a day celebrated in many countries to honor friendships. While initially promoted by the greeting card industry, it has seen a resurgence in popularity, particularly in South Asia, thanks to the internet, mobile phones, and social media. Although often attributed to the United States in 1935, the origins of dedicating a day to friends remain unclear.
1935: Friendship Day First Promoted
In 1935, the greeting card industry began promoting the concept of Friendship Day in the United States.
July 1958: Global Friendship Day Idea Proposed
The concept of a Global Friendship Day was initially put forth by Dr. Ramon Artemio Bracho in July 1958 in Puerto Pinasco, Paraguay.
1958: Friendship Day Proposed as a Global Holiday
Joyce Hall proposed the idea of Friendship Day as a global holiday in 1958. It was initially set for August 2nd.
1998: Winnie the Pooh as Ambassador of Friendship
In 1998, Winnie the Pooh was designated as the world's Ambassador of Friendship by Nane Annan at a United Nations event.
2004: High Call Volume on Christmas and New Year's Day in Argentina
In Argentina, the volume of well-wishing calls during Christmas and New Year's Day in 2004 caused disruptions in mobile phone networks.
2005: Overwhelmed Networks on Friend's Day in Argentina
The popularity of Friend's Day in 2005 led to mobile phone network crashes in several Argentinian cities due to well-wishing messages, similar to issues faced on Christmas and New Year's Day in 2004.
2009: El dia del Amigo in Peru
Peru began celebrating "El dia del Amigo" on the first Saturday of July in 2009, an initiative by beer brand Pilsen Callao to celebrate friendship.
2011: UN Recognizes International Day of Friendship
The United Nations officially declared July 30th as the International Day of Friendship in 2011, encouraging global observance.