*History of Friendship Day*
*The tradition of celebrating Friendship Day began in* * 1935 when the US Congress** decided to dedicate a day* * in the honor of friends. * ** *Though it is not known exactly what were the* * reasons** that went into the making of this day,* * the retrospection of the world scenario of those times * *can lead us to an understanding. * ** *With the devastating effects of the First World War* * still showing and increasing hostilities, mistrust **and * *hatred between countries providing the perfect conditions* * for another imminent battle, there was a greater need * *for friendship and camaraderie not only among nations* * but also among individuals. Hence, the US Congress decided to designate the* * first Sunday of the month of August as Friendship Day* * and with a formal proclamation in 1935, officially* * declared the occasion a holiday dedicated in the honour * *of friends and friendship. * *Since then, celebration of National Friendship Day * *became an annual event. The lofty idea of honoring* * the beautiful relationship of friendship caught on * *with the people, particularly the youngsters all over* * the country, and in no time Friendship Day became* * a highly popular festival. But the success of this wonderful occasion was not* * to be limited to the US alone. * *With time, several other countries followed suit * *in adopting the tradition of dedicating a day **to the* * cause of friendship.* * The beautiful idea of having a day in the honor of * *friends was joyously taken over by several other countries* * across the world. * *With more and more nations joining in* * the celebrations, Friendship Day soon became* * International Friendship Day. Today, Friendship Day is enthusiastically celebrated* * every year by many countries. * *The occasion is observed on the first Sunday * *in August**. * *The traditional celebrations include meeting **with * *friends and exchanging of cards, flower and gifts* * Many social and cultural organizations also celebrate Friendship Day by hosting programs and* * get togethers. * *Special performances by rock bands are also organized * *in countries like the US to enhance the jubilations. In 1997, the United Nations named Winnie the Pooh,* * the famous cartoon character as the world's Ambassador* * of Friendship. * * It is interesting to note how some associations observe* * Friendship Day with different customs, by giving** the * *festival different names and holding it in times unlike* * that of the actual festival. For example, National Friendship Day is held on the* * first Sunday in August; Women's Friendship Day is on the * *third Sunday in August; the third week of May is the * *old friends**, New Friends Week and the whole of February* * is designated as the International Friendship Month. These days, Friendship Day is celebrated with a lot of* * fanfare and great expenses. Just as in US and several * *other countries, the festival has been greatly * *commercialized. Days before the festival, card and gift companies * *launch an extensive campaign to lure people into buying* * cards and gift items for their friends.. * *Companies indulge in aggressive marketing to target * *youngsters, the main celebrators of festivals as these,* * and entice them into purchasing expensive articles for* * their pals. Restaurateurs too offer special discounts to * *make** the most of the time. * *This marketing strategy has been severely criticized * *by many people and is a subject of debate every year. * *Many feel that such rampant commercialization has * *marred the very concept of Friendship Day and has* * turned it into a mere formality. * *Many on the other hand think that greater hype and* * hoopla around the occasion has helped to generate * *awareness about Friendship Day festival which was * *till recently a low-key affair (compared to occasions as* * "Mother's day**" and "Father's Day") * *and thus promote friendship and brotherhood. The popular customs of Friendship Day includes handing* * over roses, especially the pink and yellow ones. * *The day is observed with great exhilaration and merriment, * *with friends throwing parties, gorging on lip-smacking* * dishes and drinking hard (be it at home or at restaurants* * that offer special discounts for this occasion). A highly popular thing associated with the day is the * *well-known Friendship Band - the modern day token * *of friendship that friends gift to one another to form* * an everlasting bond. * *Friendship bands are favorite items for youngsters * *and are available in stores all over the country. * *Girls go in for friendship bracelets instead of the * *conventional friendship wristbands. * *Friendship Poems and Friendship Day Gifts are* * exchanged **between best friends to renew the bond* * of **friendship and express gratitude and* * love for each other.* * These are new ways of celebration of this day that the* * GenX has invented. Since its inception in 1935, Friendship Day and * *Friendship Day celebrations have come a long way. * *But however much the ways of celebration have changed,* * the basic idea behind the occasion remains the same. * *Friendship Day remains the time when you acknowledge* * your friends' contribution in your life, express love* * for them, cherish their presence in your life and* * pay them a tribute. Today, Friendship Day is being celebrated around * *the globe, across diverse cultures and social segments.* --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ you have this email because you join to "aga-madjid" GoogleGroups. to post emails, just send to : [email protected] to join this group, send blank email to : [email protected] to quit from this group, just send email to : [email protected] if you wanna know me, please visit my facebook at [email protected] thanks for joinning this group. -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
