Interesting facts about the International Friendship Day

People around the world celebrate the International Day of Friendship, sending cards and gifts to each other, and also promising to always be best friends. It's a beautiful day that allows you to show your friends how important they are to you, and also reminds you of how many friends you have. People around the world celebrate this day, however you will be surprised at how exactly this holiday was born. Look at a few interesting facts concerning both the friendship itself and this holiday. Some of them can simply amaze you.

When did the Day of Friendship begin?

The concept of Friendship Day was born in the thirties of the last century as an innovative marketing strategy. Joyce Hall, the founder of the company for the production of postcards, which began working in 1919, originally designated the first Sunday in August as the Day of Friendship.

Official Holiday

This fashion has taken root, and the Congress of the United States of America declared the first Sunday of August as the National Day of Friendship in 1935. This year the holiday falls on August 6.

Distribution around the world

The idea of World Friendship Day was proposed by Paraguayan, Dr. Artemio Bracho, and in Paraguay the World Friendship Day was celebrated on July 30, 1958 for the first time.

Official UN Day

The wide popularity of the concept led to the fact that the UN General Assembly on April 27, 2011 declared July 30 International Friendship Day.

Song of friendship

The Beatles group released the famous song With a Little Help from My Friends in 1967 to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the International Day of Friendship.

Your own Friendship Day

Residents of Argentina, Ecuador, Brazil and Uruguay celebrate Friendship Day on July 20 of each year.

Women's Friendship Day

In 1999, the Kappa Delta female community in Memphis (USA) celebrated the National Women's Friendship Day on the third Sunday in September to remind them of the importance of girlfriends in a woman's life.

Month of female friendship

By 2009, the veneration of women's friendship ties spread throughout September, which is now considered the International Women's Friendship Year.

The impact of the

The rapid development of the Internet has become the key to the promotion of the concept of Friendship Day all over the world, especially in the emerging markets of Southeast and South Asia.

The ambassador of friendship

In 1998, Nana Annan, the wife of Kofi Annan, who at that time was the UN Secretary General, called the plush bear Winnie the Pooh the Ambassador of Friendship at the United Nations.

Dynamics of friendly relations

The National Research Center for Public Opinion Research at the University of Chicago in 2004 conducted a study that found that in the past two decades, the average number of reliable friends among Americans has decreased by one third, while the number of people who do not have close friends in general has increased twice.

The Most Friendly Nation

A recent study conducted on social networks found that when it comes to large circles of close friends (10 or more people), Brazilians and Filipinos are much more friendly than representatives of other nationalities.

How could they be called "Friends"?

The creators of the most popular sitcom "Friends" initially considered other names, such as "Friends like us", "Six of one kind", "The door opposite", "Once in the Western Village" and "Cafe Insomnia."

Love and friendship

Love has a negative impact on friendship. The study, led by Robin Dunbar, head of the Institute of Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology at Oxford University, showed that both men and women are likely to lose close friends when they begin a love relationship.

Month of friendship

All February is celebrated as the International Month of Friendship.

The Benefits of Friendship

Gradually, scientists have found more and more evidence that the presence of friends can significantly reduce the level of stress. Friendship protects the person from diseases, and also accelerates the process of recovery from illness.

Friendship extends life

A large circle of friends can prolong your life. The study, which lasted 10 years and was conducted by the Center for the Study of Aging at Flinders University in Australia, found that people over the age of 70 who have a wide range of friends and acquaintances usually live 22 percent longer than those whose circle of friends is small.

National Week in the USA

The third week of May in the United States is celebrated as the National Week of New and Old Friends.

Online Relationships

Friendship online is on the rise all over the world. Studies show that people are more honest with their online friends than with those with whom they see themselves live. Women often have more online friends than men.

Friendship with animals

Friendship is not limited to people. Some animals such as chimpanzees, baboons, horses, hyenas, elephants, bats, otters and dolphins can also build friendly bonds with members of their species.