Friendship Day falls annually on the 1stSunday of August and began in 1935 by a proclamation of the U.S. Congress to honor the people in our social lives that are special and close to us.  Friendship day has really caught on and much of the world celebrates it too on this day.  Here are some ideas to celebrate Friendship Day with your friends and remember, hugs and smiles are free!  I’ve tried to include ideas for all ages of friendships. Remember, men celebrate their friendships too! Have fun!

GIVE OUT YELLOW ROSES:  Though any kind of flowers are special to give, the yellow rose has been chosen as the official flower of friendship day. It symbolizes joy, friendship, delight, the promise of a new beginning, to remember friends, and show you care. Don’t forget to send some to friends who live far away. Florists will also tell you that the yellow rose w/ red tips symbolizes friendship and falling in love.

ORGANIZE A PARTY:  Plan a party with your friends to celebrate your friendship.  Don’t forget to invite a few new ones too!

SEND CARDS:  Send cards to all your friends to let them know you are thinking of them.  Far away friends will feel very special too.

GIVE HANDMADE GIFTS:  Special pictures of you and your friends together in nice frames for their desk or mantel is a nice gift.  Many craft stores have frames engraved with the words “friends” and “friends forever” etc.

START AN ANNUAL SCRAPBOOK:  Gather your friends together to make a scrapbook of your adventures past and present.  Memories with artwork are nice and last forever.

GIVE BOOKS ABOUT FRIENDSHIP:  First go to your local library and see what is hot right now in the genre of friendship books.  Buy copies online at Amazon.com and give them to your friends.  A suggestion would maybe be:  “Eat, Pray, Love.”

GIVE FRIENDSHIP BANDS OR BRACELETS:  These are very popular and easy to find and not expensive.  You can spend whatever your budget allows.  Pass them around and trade.

DO A SPA DAY TOGETHER:  Invite your friends to your house for a spa day.  If you don’t want to do it all yourself, have a consultant come over.  Include manicures, pedicures, massages, facials, lingerie, etc. Don’t’ forget the candles, aromatherapy scents, soft Celtic or jazz music, and yellow rose petals sprinkled around. Being pampered together is great fun.

SLEEPOVER:  Plan a sleepover with your best buddies!  Don’t forget the music, snacks, favorite DVD’s to watch, plus games to play indoors and out. Include a scavenger hunt if you want too!

PRAY FOR YOUR FRIENDS:  Don’t take this lightly. Prayer is important. Pray that God will keep your friendships strong.

CALL YOUR FRIENDS:  Make a point to connect to all your friends, especially those whom you have not talked to for a long time.

MAKE NEW FRIENDS:  Invite some new friends over that will get along well with everyone.

WATCH EPISODES OF “FRIENDS:” Gather your friends together for a “Friends” T.V. show marathon!  Don’t forget to bring the snacks!

PHOTO BOOTH:  Go to the mall with your best friend and sit in the photo booth for some fun. If you’ve never done this before, try and go ahead and spend the money for a great memory!

WATCH MOVIES ABOUT FRIENDSHIP:  Plan ahead and do some homework and select several movies that are about friends and friendships.  Gather your friends with some snacks for a night of fun.

PLAN AN OUTING:  Gather your friends for a day of fun swimming, boating, golfing, rafting, water skiing, playing croquet, tennis, going to the beach, movies, concert, play, opera, or just having a picnic in a park.   

PICNIC UNDER THE STARS:  Gather some warm blankets, food, and friends and if the night is clear and cool, enjoy star gazing together.

MUSIC:  Prepare a CD or your ipod of friendship songs to play at your gathering.

Don’t’ forget to come up with your own ideas.  You know your group of friends better than anyone!

Here are some other times to celebrate friendship to mark on your calendar:

Women’s Friendship Dayis on the third Sunday in August
International Friendship Monthis February
Make a Friend Day is February 11th
Old Friends, New Friends Week is the third week of May

Be sure and see my many other articles for more holiday ideas in Bukisa!