International Friendship Day 2024 in India: Sunday, 4 August 2024

They say that you can’t choose who is a part of your family, but you can most certainly choose who becomes a part of your friends circle! Friends – the moment you think of that word, there is a smile that spreads wide across your face. Through each stage of life, you would have come across people who were either exactly like you or perhaps diametrically opposite, but they became an integral part of your happiest memories. Your very first friend that you started babbling to, when your mom used to take you to the park as a crawling baby, the first person to share that pink eraser on the first day of preschool, the first person who ragged you at the new school and the person who you found out had the same bus route in college – there must have been so many places and ways you would have made friends, but the fact remains that these would be the people who would have more secrets about you, than your entire family put together! These are perhaps the first people who you would think of, when you are looking to buy photo frames online, because some of the best photos of you, would be from your school or college days!

Relive The Story Of Your Friendship This Year – Celebrate Your Friendship In Style

Although there is no real need to have one specific day to celebrate your friends, there is nothing wrong in designating a day in the year, which is all about your partners in crime and your secret keepers! But before getting into the celebration aspect of that, it might be interesting to learn a little about the history of Friendship Day.

The history:

In the year 1930, Joyce Hall, the founder of Hallmark Cards declared that 2nd of August, every year, would be celebrated as a day to celebrate friendships. The idea was to have a day similar to Mother’s Day or Father’s Day, but for only friends, and in the beginning, it was promoted by the Greeting Card National Association. However, most people saw this as nothing more than a marketing gimmick – it was seen as a means to promote card sales and nothing more. By the 1940s, there were hardly any card sales for Friendship Day in the United States and over time, the ‘celebration’ died down completely. But the day gained popularity in Asia and it was here that it was reborn, and although there is not a lot of proof of how it was taken up in Europe, it did become a legitimate celebration in the Asian subcontinent.
The idea of a Friendship Day that would be celebrated all over the world was hatched in a small town in Paraguay on July 20th, 1958 – in Puerto Pinasco, Dr. Ramon Artemio Bracho was having dinner with some of his friends, when he proposed such a day of celebration. And from here, arose the World Friendship Crusade was born – a foundation that promotes friendship and the idea of followship amongst all people, irrespective of factors like nationality, race, colour, or gender. It was because of this that July 30th was celebrated as Friendship Day in Paraguay as well as other countries in the world. For several years, the foundation lobbied with the United Nations to recognise this day and finally, the day received the recognition it deserved. The day was meant to educate people and create public awareness regarding relations that rise above boundaries based on geography, skin colour, and more. In 1998, Nane Anna, the wife of the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan named the popular animated character Winnie the Pooh as the global Ambassador, in honour of Friendship Day. This was an event that was sponsored by not just the UN Department of Public Information, but also animation giants, Disney Enterprises. And while on 27th of July 2011, during the 65th session of the United Nations General Assembly, 30th of July was declared as the "International Day of Friendship", many countries, including India, choose to celebrate it on the first Sunday of August.

The normal celebration:

For most people, Friendship Day means buying gifts for friends such as chocolates, cards, friendship bands or bracelets flowers, and soft toys; some people might spend their day with their friends at a nice restaurant, mall or movie hall or even chilling at home, catching up on lost time. However, like most other celebrations, Friendship Day has also gone online these days and more and more people are choosing to post photos on social media or stories or even poetry about friends online and call it a day! However, friends are meant to be celebrated and you should take a little more effort to make them realise how special and cherished they are.

How you might want to celebrate this year:

This year do things a little differently; this year choose to celebrate your friends with the kind of love, attention, and gifts that they deserve. At eCraftIndia, we have the widest range of gift options, perfect for all types of friends. Here is how you can go about shopping for your friends:
  • The always the good kid friend: Most of us have this one friend who is the picture of perfection, the friend that our parents always compare us to, but we still love. They were the types of friends, who would always do well at school and were always on time for everything – for those friends, we bring to you a range of stunning wall or table clocks that are handcrafted and come in a range of colours, patterns, shapes, and sizes.
  • The always getting into trouble friend: There is also always that friend who is not only getting into trouble themselves, but also dragging you along, but they are the ones you have some of the best times with. For those friends, a photo frame with some of your craziest moments together would make for a wonderful gift.
  • The artistic friend: If your friend has always been the artistic type, why not browse through the most incredible collection of some of the best paintings online in India. Whether you want paintings of nature, spirituality, flowers, or more, there is plenty to choose from here. You could also look for sets of paintings and photos that will look great on walls of homes as well as workspaces.
  • The whimsical friend: Ever had that friend who always had their head in their clouds and believed in unicorns and magical mirrors? For that special friend, who always brought a bit of magic and whimsy into your life, we have décor pieces like the brass flying horse or dreamcatchers made with a myriad coloured threads!
  • The workaholic friend: So they were complete backbenchers in school, but when they joined the workforce, they see nothing beyond work. For that workaholic friend choose a little something that they can keep on their workstation and take a moment to think about you and the friendship you share – a Laughing Buddha statue would bring a little calm and a little cheer instantly!
  • The stay at home friend: And if you have that friend who chose to get married and stay at home to take care of the family, eCraftIndia is a treasure trove of home décor items – from wall hangings to diyas, from fountains to bedspreads, there is plenty to select from.