FRIENDSHIP DAY - REAL HOLIDAY OR MARKETING GIMMICK??

Posted on Wed, Jul 4, 2018

Many friends acknowledge each other with exchange of gifts and cards on this day.

Friendship Day was originally promoted by Joyce Hall, the founder of Hallmark cards in 1919, and intended to be a day where people celebrated their friendships by sending cards. The first Sunday in August was chosen as the center of the largest lull in holiday celebrations. Friendship Day was promoted by the greetings card National Association during the 1920's but met with consumer resistance - given that it was rather too obviously a commercial gimmick to promote greetings cards. By the 1940's the number of Friendship Day cards available in the US had dwindled and the holiday largely died out there. There is no evidence to date for its uptake in Europe, however it has been kept alive and revitalized in Asia where several countries adopted the tradition of dedicating a day to friends. Today, Friendship Day is enthusiastically celebrated in a number of countries across the world.

In honor of Friendship Day in 1998, Nane Annan, wife of Secretary-General Kofi Annan, named Winnie the Pooh as the world's Ambassador of Friendship at the United Nations. The event was co-sponsored by the U.N. Department of Public Information and Disney Enterprises, and was co-hosted by Kathy Lee Gifford.

Many friends acknowledge each other with exchange of gifts and cards on this day. Friendship bands are very popular in India, Nepal, Bangladesh and parts of South America, With the advent of social networking sites, friendship day is also being celebrated online, The commercialization of the Friendship Day celebrations has led to some dismissing it as a "marketing gimmick".

Let's use this "Holiday" to showcase our beautiful Church Family. Bring a friend to church this Sunday. August 5th and we will celebrate FRIENDSHIP DAY with hugs and handshakes.

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