There’s more than one Friendship Day. The United Nations picked 30 July. India and several other countries celebrate on the first Sunday of August.
Choose the one your friends keep.
How to use the Friendship Day Countdown#
- Choose what to count to. Choose between International Day of Friendship, 30 July (UN), First Sunday of August (India and others) or 14 February (Finland and Estonia).
- The figures are worked out when the page loads and again when you change an option or return to the tab.
- Use the extras. The UN’s International Day of Friendship is 30 July. Total hours, minutes and sleeps are listed underneath.
Which Friendship Day#
The UN General Assembly proclaimed 30 July as the International Day of Friendship in 2011, hoping that friendship between peoples and cultures could build peace. The first Sunday of August has a longer history in India, Bangladesh, Malaysia and elsewhere, and it’s the one most likely to be marked with friendship bands and messages. In Finland and Estonia, the day for friends is 14 February.
Ideas that don’t cost much#
Message the friend you haven’t spoken to in a year. Plan a meal or a game night. Write a short note about a memory. If you want to give something, a small, specific gift lands better than an expensive generic one. Friends in different cities can plan a video call and put the time in their calendars now.
When is Friendship Day in the next few years?#
The UN’s International Day of Friendship is 30 July. Many countries, including India, celebrate on the first Sunday of August. Finland and Estonia mark friends on 14 February.
| Year | Date | Day of the week |
|---|---|---|
| International Day of Friendship, 30 July (UN) | ||
| 2027 | 30 July | Friday |
| 2028 | 30 July | Sunday |
| 2029 | 30 July | Monday |
| 2030 | 30 July | Tuesday |
| 2031 | 30 July | Wednesday |
| First Sunday of August (India and others) | ||
| 2027 | 1 August | Sunday |
| 2028 | 6 August | Sunday |
| 2029 | 5 August | Sunday |
| 2030 | 4 August | Sunday |
| 2031 | 3 August | Sunday |
| 14 February (Finland and Estonia) | ||
| 2027 | 14 February | Sunday |
| 2028 | 14 February | Monday |
| 2029 | 14 February | Wednesday |
| 2030 | 14 February | Thursday |
| 2031 | 14 February | Friday |
How Friendship Day began#
The idea of a day for friends was first proposed in Paraguay in 1958 by Dr Ramon Artemio Bracho, who chose 30 July. The date caught on in South America and was later taken up by the UN. In India and nearby countries, the first Sunday of August became the day when friends tie colourful bands on each other’s wrists, a custom spread by greeting card companies in the twentieth century and now carried on by social media.
In 2027, 30 July falls on a Friday, and the Indian date is 1 August, a Sunday.
What the research says about friends#
The anthropologist Robin Dunbar has argued that most people can keep about five close friends and around fifteen good ones, while a wider circle of about 150 people is the limit of casual relationships we can track. Close friendships need time. Studies suggest it takes dozens of hours together to move from acquaintance to friend, and many more to become a close friend. Friendships fade when contact stops, so even a short message every few weeks helps.
If you want to find out how long you have known a friend, use the days between dates calculator, which gives the answer in years, months and days.
Quick facts#
- Friendship bands, called friendship belts in some places, are exchanged on the Indian Friendship Day and are often handmade.
- In Finland the day, Ystävänpäivä, is 14 February, and it is celebrated more for friends than for couples.
- Loneliness is linked with poor health, and the WHO has called it a public health priority.
Organising a get-together#
If you want to bring a group of friends together, pick a date, ask early and keep the plan simple. A shared meal where everyone brings a dish is easier than a restaurant booking for ten. Create a group chat and set a deadline for replies. If friends are spread across cities, a video call with a game or quiz is a good alternative, and you can send a small note or photo by post beforehand.
Frequently asked questions#
30 July by the UN, the first Sunday of August in many countries, and 14 February in Finland and Estonia.
Different countries and organisations picked their own days at different times.
No, in almost every country.
Different groups chose different dates. The UN picked 30 July, building on a proposal from Paraguay in 1958. India and several other countries use the first Sunday of August, and Finland and Estonia celebrate friends on 14 February. Pick the date your friends use. If they do not mind, mark all of them as an excuse to get in touch.
Send a short, specific message rather than a long catch-up. Mention a memory, a shared joke or a place you both knew, and suggest one concrete next step, such as a call on Sunday. Do not apologise at length for the silence. Most people are pleased to hear from someone, and a simple message is more likely to get a reply.