6.International Day of Friendship Friends come in all shapes and sizes, They may be someone we met as "child, a classmate at school, someone we met at work or through other friends. Friends enjoy doing things together or simply talking with each other, Friends are there to help us at difficult times and celebrate the good times. Doctors say that friends are very important for both our physical and mental health.
But friendship is not only important on a personal level, It is also important on an international level. Friendships between countries can help bring peace and avoid war.
Thinking of people in other countries as our friends helps us work together to build a culture of peace. That's why the United Nations (UN) declared (宣布) 30 July as its official International Day of Friendship.
An international celebration was first suggested by Dr Ramon Artemio Bracho and his friends in Parguny (巴拉圭), in 1958. They wanted to support (支持) the importance of friendship in keeping the peace so they decided to celebrate Friendship Week in Puerto Pinasco and other places in Paraguay. The following year, they celebrated the week again and finished on 30 July, which they declared as Friendship Day. From there, celebrations of friendship grew and spread across the Americas, then the world, and finally the UN declared an International Day of Friendship in 2011.
A number of countries celebrate the International Day of Friendship on 30 July, but it is not the only day celebrating friendship around the world. Other countries have different dates. For example, Argentina, Brazil and Spain celebrate Friend's Day on 20 July, while in India and the US, they celebrate it on the first Sunday in August.
The celebrations around the world are very similar (相似的), Friends meet up to spend time together. They may eat out or have a meal at home. They give each other small gifts:books, flowers and simple jewellery. Some people send each other cards and greetings online. Whatever form the celebration takes, the real meaning is the same to remember the importance of friends and the power of friendship.