The History Of National Friendship Day

National Friendship Day is a yearly holiday celebrated on the first Sunday in August. It’s a day dedicated to showing the important people in your life that you appreciate them by reconnecting with old friends and potentially making new ones. Learning about the importance of friendship, the history of this holiday, and how you can celebrate old and new friendships can be a way to honor Friendship Day this year. 

Friendships are important to your overall wellness

Talk with a therapist to learn more

History of National Friendship Day

The Greeting Card Association voted to observe the first National Friendship Day on Sunday, August 6th, 1922, the first Sunday of the month. Some saw the idea as a commercial gimmick devised by the industry to sell more greeting cards. While the idea of celebrating friendship may have been positive, connecting it to the industry that would profit from it was not well received.

In 1935, Congress legitimized the idea, proclaiming the first Sunday of August National Friendship Day and June 8th National Best Friends Day the same year. Other countries adopted the idea in the years that followed. The United Nations General Assembly named Winnie the Pooh the world's ambassador of friendship in 1997 and observed the first International Friendship Day or International Day of Friendship on July 30th, 2011. 

How to celebrate friendship with existing friends

When you have friends who you see all the time or who are a constant presence in your life, you may not always take the time to let them know how much they mean to you. For these close friendships, you can use National Friendship Day as a reason to let them know how important they are to you and an opportunity to do something special for them. Below are a few ways to do so: 

• Seek out the perfect gift or make them an item that shows them how much they mean to you and how well you know them. If you’re stuck for ideas, friendship bracelets and best friend necklaces may be positive options. 
• Instead of squeezing in a quick dinner or night out, plan an entire day of fun or a weekend away for you and your closest friends.
• Binge-watch a new series together, making time to get together once a week or once a month to spend some downtime together relaxing.
• Sit down and create a “Friendship Bucket List” together, listing all the adventures you hope to have together. 
• Plan a “no tech” gathering with your friends, inviting everyone to dinner at your house or a picnic in the park and enforcing a “no smartphones” rule to encourage you to spend quality time together.
• Donate in your friend’s name to a charity that means a lot to them.
• Take a class together to learn a new skill, like cooking, knitting, or dancing.

How to reconnect with old friends

If you have friendships that have lasted decades but don’t always have time to get together, National Friendship Day can be an opportunity to reconnect. Below are ideas for catching up with old friends, no matter the distance between you: 

• Send them a thoughtful hand-written card, whether they live on the other side of the county or across the street.
• If you have an old friend who is a morning person, ask them to meet for breakfast at their favorite restaurant or a quick cup of coffee to catch up.
• Show them some virtual love by creating a social media post celebrating your friendship and memories, complete with photos, videos, and memes to share your connection and let them know how much they mean to you, even though you may not have the same area code.
• Post pictures taken back when you first met and post them alongside the last photo you took together.
• Take a road trip to a place you spent time together when you were younger, like your hometown, college campus, or destination that has meant a lot to you during your friendship.
• Plan a movie night where you watch the movies you watched together as kids.
• Set up a craft day at home where everyone brings a craft idea and supplies and spends the day creating together. 

How to make new friends

Making new friends can also be a meaningful way to pass your time on National Friendship Day. Below are a few suggestions for getting started: 

• Volunteering can be a way to meet new people. Find a cause you believe in to give back to your community meaningfully and potentially meet people who share your passions.
• Host a barbecue or block party in the name of friendship and invite your neighbors to allow everyone to get to know each other better. 
• Join a book club at your local library or bookstore to meet like-minded people who share your interests.
• Take a class to learn about a topic you are interested in, like watercolor painting, pottery, cake decorating, or poetry.
• Introduce yourself to local online groups and mention that you are seeking new friends.
• Consider strengthening your connections with friends of friends by hosting a dinner party or BBQ and asking each friend to bring one or two acquaintances to expand your friend group.
• Join an amateur sports team or exercise class to meet others while staying active.
• Join an outdoor group such as rock climbing, rockhounding, or hiking groups. 

Support options 

Research has found that adult friendships predict or are positively correlated with well-being. One review of 38 studies conducted between 2000 and 2019 found that socializing with friends and the quality of friendships predicted overall well-being. 

Making and maintaining friendships often involves respect and communication. If you are looking to improve your relationships or want to become more comfortable making new ones, working with a therapist may help. A mental health professional can teach you more about conflict resolution, setting boundaries, and building confidence so that you will be more comfortable meeting new people and making new friendships.

Those who face barriers to finding a therapist in their area may also benefit from online therapy. With an online therapy platform like BetterHelp, you can meet with a licensed mental health professional from the comfort of your home or anywhere you have an internet connection at a time that suits your schedule. More than 30,000 providers are on the platform, and you can change therapists anytime until you find a fit. 

In addition to being flexible and convenient, research has found that online therapy is effective. In one review of 14 studies, researchers found no differences in effectiveness between online and face-to-face interventions. 

Friendships are important to your overall wellness

Talk with a therapist to learn more