Friendship Day is generally celebrated the first Sunday in August. The tradition started in the U.S., with an Aug. 4 date picked by Hallmark. (Surprise, surprise, the company wanted to encourage people to send their friends a greeting card!) In 2011, the United Nations modified the idea a bit, declaring July 30th to be International Day of Friendship. The general idea is that friendships can inspire bigger changes in the world, supporting peace efforts. It’s a lovely idea to explore. Perhaps you could make friendship bracelets with children, bake some cookies for a neighbor, or invite a friend out to see a movie. But if you’re in the mood to shop, here are some of my picks for friendship gifts.
You can’t pick your relatives (hello, crazy Aunt Myrtle!), so thank goodness we can all have “chosen family,” a sentiment reflected on this mug ($18), which reads, Friends are the family we pick for ourselves.
For all my exhausted Mommy Zombie friends, I’d get a 21 Drops aromatherapy roller-ball ($29). The 01 formula is meant to be invigorating and energizing, which is key when you’re getting by on two hours of sleep and have a Cheerio stuck in your hair.
My yogi and New Age friends would love this Kai fragrance gift set ($98). Even if they are no where near a garden, the gardenia scented body wash, body lotion, roll-on perfume and votive transport the user to a verdant, peaceful place. There’s even a tank top for yoga included.
For my rock and roll guy friends, I’d order personalized guitar picks ($24.95 for 20) with the name of their band inscribed. They can fling them out into the crowd of groupies. Well, at least in their imaginations.
If my budget allowed, I’d send every single friend a huge bouquet of sunflowers ($39.98) for their desks and dining room tables.
Check out our ideas for your besties at Best Friends Day Gifts.
And enjoy more Friendship Day Celebration Ideas.
