Friendship Day in India

Friendship Day has come to be celebrated in a big way
in India. The noble idea of honoring friends and friendship has really
caught on with the youth in India and one can see the festival being
enthusiastically celebrated by the youth especially, students.

Day Dedicated to Friends
In tune with the spirit of the occasion, people dedicate Friendship Day
festival to their best friends. Most choose to celebrate the entire day
in the loving company of their dearest friends. Recollecting sweet
memories of the time spent together and catching up with their lives
over a cup of coffee is the idea of ideal Friendship Day celebration for
many.

Friends separated by geographical distances, call up their friends to
express love and warmth for each other and to wish a "Happy
Friendship Day". With more and more people getting hooked to the
net, many people also choose to chat with their friends with the help of
Internet. Sending SMS and Friendship Day e-cards is another popular way
of greetings friends.

Friendship Day Celebrations in Schools and Colleges
Friendship Day celebrations are particularly marked in schools and
colleges in India. Euphoria of the day sets in days before the festival
as everybody gets excited to wish their best friends in their own
special way. Children make Friendship Day Cards or other special gift to
thank their friends for their wonderful presence in their life. Exchange
of Friendship Bands is the other most prominent feature of Friendship
Day celebrations. Friends vie with each other as to who gets the most
stylish band or who gets the maximum number of bands.

In several colleges, special programs are also organized to mark the
occasion. Most of these programs and events intend to give youth an
opportunity to dance and sing with friends and have a good time.

Friendship Day Parties
Following their counterparts in the west, youth in India too mark
Friendship Day by participating in Friendship Day parties or organizing
bashes for their friends. Major crowd for Friendship Day can be seen in
discotheques and pubs where people dance with friends on fast pace music
and cherish the loving company of their pals. Such parties also give
youth a chance to make new friends and widen their friendship circle. At
present such bashes are more popular in metros and other big cities,
however, youth in small towns too are warming up to the idea of partying
on Friendship Day.

Commercialization of Friendship Day
Just as in US and several other countries, Friendship Day has been
commercialized to a great extent in India. Days before the festival,
gift marketers run an extensive campaign to lure the people to buy cards
and gifts for their friends. Restaurateurs too try to entice people by
offering special discounts or holding bashes. Several people criticize
such excessive campaigning. They feel commercialization has marred to
the idea behind observing Friendship Day and has turned it into a mere
formality. Some people however feel that advertising campaign has helped
to generate awareness about Friendship Day festival and the idea of
having a day dedicated to friends.