International Day of Friendship July 30, 2023

This year on July 30 is International Day of Friendship. In 2011, the U.N. designated the first International Day of Friendship to promote peace and harmony through building bridges between communities, but the very first World Friendship Day was proposed in 1958 by an organisation called the World Friendship Crusade. According to the International Day of Friendship organisers, babies start to recognize friendships by 9 months of age, and by the time we’re young adults, the average person spends from 10-25 hours per week socializing with friends.

Friendships can be an important source of support and wellbeing, but there are some tricky times in friendships too. Friendship groups can be disrupted when partners are introduced into the group or if partnering up occurs within the friendship group. Groups change too when some of the group have children or move away. Sometimes we realise that we have nothing left in common with our long-time friends, sometimes friendship groups get divided due to a dispute between two friends or even due to the break-up of a relationship within the group. Painfully, sometimes a friend can simply… ghost us. Grieving for lost friendships can take time and can be complex to navigate.

Turning to friends for support can be empowering and life-affirming, but friends can also say things like, “Harden up”, “Just don’t worry about it” or “You’ll be right”. They mean well, but it can feel disempowering. Sometimes our friends jump straight in with, “You think you’ve got problems… listen to this!”. It can feel very isolating when friends brush off your concerns and this is why it’s important to seek professional help to have a space to talk things through.

In the spirit of building bridges, this month have a think about friends that you would like to reconnect with. It doesn’t have to be elaborate, just a simple ‘thinking of you’ text message can start the pathway back to connection. Or consider revisiting one of the classic friendship movies: Toy Story, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Stand By Me, Thelma and Louie or Steel Magnolias.

For more information about the International Day of Friendship, go to: International Day of Friendship | United Nations