Friendship Day: when is the 2021 international celebration, what is it - and 7 happy quotes

At the end of July each year, the International Day of Friendship rolls around, a day that was proclaimed by the United Nations a decade ago.

This is what you need to know about the day - and ideas for how you can celebrate it.

When is the International Day of Friendship - and where does the day come from?

International Day of Friendship takes place annually on 30 July.

International Day of Friendship was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 2011 with the idea that “friendship between peoples, countries, cultures and individuals can inspire peace efforts and build bridges between communities”.

The UN site says: “The resolution places emphasis on involving young people, as future leaders, in community activities that include different cultures and promote international understanding and respect for diversity.”

How can I celebrate International Day of Friendship 2021?

The UN encourages governments, international organisations and groups to mark International Day of Friendship by holding events, activities and initiatives that “contribute to the efforts of the international community towards promoting a dialogue among civilisations, solidarity, mutual understanding and reconciliation”.

While there may not be events or activities taking place near you due to things like the Covid-19 pandemic, there are other ways you can celebrate the friendships in your life.

Of course the obvious answer is to spend the day with your friends, doing whatever it is that you and your crew like to do together.

You could always watch some films about friendship - the perk to this activity is that you don’t have to be in the same room as your friends to do this if you can’t get together in person.

Some of the best films about friendship includes:

Other ideas if you can’t see your friends in person include things like sending them a heartfelt card, giving them a call and having a catch up, or even just posting a picture on social media to let them know you love them.

What are some good quotes about friendship?

This is a collection of some of the best quotes about friendship that you can share on International Day of Friendship 2021.

“Friendship takes work. Finding friends, nurturing friendships, scheduling facetime, it all takes a tremendous amount of work. But it’s worth it. If you put in the effort, you’ll see the rewards of positive friends who will make your life extraordinary.” - Maya Angelou.

“One friend with whom you have a lot in common is better than three with whom you struggle to find things to talk about.” - Mindy Kaling.

“Friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain. It’s not something you learn in school. But if you haven’t learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven’t learned anything.” - Muhammad Ali.

“The thing with friends when you get older - I mean, this is not anything I haven’t written about - is they can’t be replaced.” - Nora Ephron.

“True friends are always together in spirit.” - L. M. Montgomery.

“A friend is someone who gives you total freedom to be yourself.” - Jim Morrison.

“Time doesn’t take away from friendship, nor does separation.” - Tennessee Williams.