International Day of Friendship

International Day of Friendship occurs on 30th July each year.

International Day of Friendship has been celebrated officially since 2011, when the UN proclaimed that the day should help to inspire peace efforts and build bridges between communities through friendship of all kinds. International Day of Friendship is also a celebration of friendship between individuals all over the world, and the many benefits of having friends.

Close friends are truly life’s treasures. Sometimes they know us better than we know ourselves. With gentle honesty, they are there to guide and support us, to share our laughter and our tears. Their presence reminds us that we are never really alone. – Vincent Van Gogh

Friendship has many incredible positive benefits such as:

Friends are good for your health!

Having a close circle of friends can decrease your risk of health problems such as diabetes, heart attack and stroke, according to Very Well Mind. Friends can also help you set and maintain healthy behaviours like exercising and eating well. As well as improving your physical health, friends are good for your mental health too! Having strong social connections can decrease feelings of loneliness (which have been linked to health issues) and reduce the likelihood of depression, says Mayo Clinic.

Friends can provide emotional support

If you ever are in a difficult or unfortunate time, having a friend to lean on can help you through. Spending time with friends can reduce feelings of stress and upset, and help you to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Even in the happiest of times, having a friend to celebrate and enjoy memorable moments with can make the joys of life even better!

Friends help you to help yourself

Sometimes we all need some encouragement to step out of our comfort zone. Having supportive friends can help build your confidence and self-esteem, which may help you to challenge yourself more. Good friends can have an amazing positive influence, and make you want to push to become your ‘best self’. They can also help to remind you of all your amazing qualities when you need to remember how appreciated and loved you are!

Friends increase your social inter-connectivity

Friends of yours can introduce you to their own friends, who you may end up developing a friendship with too! Or they may help you meet people who may be beneficial to know for your career or hobbies.

Friendship broadens our minds

Friends can help to offer a different perspective on life through their opinions or beliefs that may differ to our own. This can help promote tolerance and a greater understanding of others, as well as an opportunity to keep learning. Having interesting and open conversations with people we trust and feel comfortable with can result in finding out something new about others and ourselves.

In honour of International Day of Friendship, we have put together some ideas of how to celebrate and show your friends some appreciation below:

Plan a friend date

Plan some time for you and your friends to meet amongst your busy schedules and spend some quality time together making memories! You could go out for the day, arrange to do an activity or simply stay in and get cosy with snacks and fun conversation. If your friends are further afield, gather virtually, arranging a time to call and catch up.

Be friendly

Extend friendship or be kind towards someone who you think might be lonely this International Day of Friendship. Or make new friends by trying out a different hobby or group activity and meet people with similar interests to yourself. Introducing yourself and striking up a conversation with someone new might just lead to a flourishing friendship!

Make or bake

Good friends don’t need expensive gifts to know that you love them. But it doesn’t hurt to remind them that you do by creating something for them. Get crafty and make them a gift or bake something for them to enjoy! You could even get them involved in the baking for some fun quality time. Below are some recipes that are perfect for baking or sharing with friends.