The United Nations has recently declared the 30th of July to be the official International Friendship Day. Several countries in Asia, however, use the first Sunday in August as Friendship Day, since that was the earliest date proposed. The reason there are two dates for Friendship Day is that it was separately created at two different times by two different people.
On this day, people around the world celebrate friendship by giving gifts and throwing parties with their friends. Traditionally, cards and flowers are exchanged, as well as hand-woven friendship bracelets. World Friendship Day has become even more popular with the advent of new technologies spreading it far and wide. With cell phones and social networks, it’s easier than ever to say hi to friends!
How do you keep a friendship going? Here are some strategies that can be use:
1. Use Facebook, Twitter, or other social media. One of the biggest obstacles to keeping friendships going is time.
2. Show up. Nothing can replace seeing someone in person. Go to a party, go to a wedding, go to a funeral, visit a newborn baby, make a date for lunch, stop by someone’s desk. Make the effort.
3. Make the effort to say "This made me think of you." We’re all busy, and keeping in touch can feel like a lot of work. One strategy that works for me is to write “this made me think of you” emails whenever I see something of interest to a friend.
4. Think about what's fun for you. People like to socialize in different ways. Maybe your friends like to go out drinking on Friday nights, or to go to the movies, but if that’s not fun for you, suggest different plans.
5. Don’t expect friendship to happen spontaneously. As with many aspects of happiness, people often assume that friendship should flow easily and naturally, and that trying to "work" on it is forced and inauthentic. Sometimes friendships naturally arise, but sometimes they don’t.
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