From birth, people grow up in a familiar world of family, relatives and blood ties. But at some turn in life, a person suddenly appears with whom there is no blood bond — yet to whom life’s most private thoughts and moments of joy and sorrow can be shared with ease. The name of this relationship, built without any social obligation or birth certificate, is friendship — perhaps the freest and deepest of all human-made relationships.
Today is the first Sunday of August. In many countries, including Bangladesh, the day is observed as “Friendship Day”. Though such a relationship cannot be tied to any particular day or date, the day has become an occasion to reconnect with old friends, reminisce and renew ties.
The depth and value of friendship have been expressed by famous thinkers through the ages. The renowned novelist Mario Puzo considered friendship greater than talent and almost equal to family; Albert Einstein held that just as true love is rare, genuine friendship is rarer still. Thinkers such as Robert Louis Stevenson and Albert Camus saw friendship as walking side by side without conditions or leadership, while for Aristotle a friend is another self.
How Friendship Day began
There are several views on the history of Friendship Day. It is thought that the first commercial attempt to observe it was made in the United States in 1930, when Hallmark Cards founder Joyce Hall declared 2 August Friendship Day and promoted exchanging greeting cards, flowers and gifts, though the effort had limited success because of low interest. Later, in 1935, the US Congress recognised the first Sunday of August as “National Friendship Day”, and the day gradually spread to various countries. According to another, unverified popular account, the observance is linked to a death in the United States in 1935.
The South American country Paraguay also played an important role in popularising Friendship Day, with the first formal celebration organised there in 1958; the proposal to observe it internationally also came from Paraguay. On 27 July 2011, the UN General Assembly decided to observe 30 July each year as “International Friendship Day”, though many countries, including Bangladesh, still mark the first Sunday of August.
Why friendship matters
According to psychologists, friendship is not limited to friends alone; it is needed in almost every relationship in life. When there is friendship between parents and children or between spouses, mutual understanding and trust grow deeper.
Psychiatrist Tajul Islam said the busyness of modern life is gradually making people lonely, and sincere friendship plays an important role in overcoming this sense of isolation. People without friends can suffer various mental health problems, he said. Everyone needs someone to whom they can speak freely and who sees another’s problem as their own; such friendships help people escape loneliness and stay mentally healthy.
World Friendship Day is not just a day for exchanging greetings but also an occasion to express gratitude to dear friends. Small steps help keep this beautiful relationship strong: staying in touch and listening attentively; remembering birthdays and special moments; standing by friends in hard times, not just happy ones; showing love through small gestures; respecting each other’s differences; giving time in person and not only online; and maintaining trust and confidentiality. Friendship is not a one-day celebration but a relationship built through small everyday care — and through trust, respect and sincerity, it can last a lifetime.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report