Every July 20, restaurants and bars around the country are filled to the rafters with people celebrating a very special day. It all started on 20 July, 1969, when Dr. Enrique Ernesto Febbraro sent a thousand letters to different people around the world in order to connect with them and create a bond. He chose that date to celebrate the landing on the Moon, which Dr. Febbraro considered a symbol of the coming together of mankind. It would be very different nowadays with email and social media, but at the time it was a big accomplishment. He got seven hundred replies and, as they say, the rest is history.
We Argentineans aren’t very formal and don’t usually plan social events too far in advance –except maybe for weddings-, so there’s generally a scramble the week of July 20 to book tables at restaurants, which may not always be successful as thousands of people are trying to celebrate the day with their friends.
If you have different sets of friends, like old school friends, work friends, friends you play sports with and so on, you may have to meet them on separate days (oh woe is me, I have to party all week!) Some choose not to get together on July 20 because everywhere is so busy, or maybe get together at home and have pizzas and empanadas delivered. As this is not a national holiday, most people gather after work, that’s why dinner reservations should be made way I advance. Some people, like my mother and her friends, get together for lunch, a more sensible option if you have the time.
Do you celebrate Friend’s Day in your country too? Tell us how, where and when!
Read more
The importance of cross-cultural friendship
Suzanne: Did You Know Japan Has a “Culture Day”?
Nice idea. I’ve never heard of friends day before. I’m pretty sure it isn’t celebrated in the UK.
This is one of those day I would love to be in my country! It is a day largely celebrated, none commercial… it is just Friend’s day!.. I miss it here in the US. Thanks for this blog I will share it in my FB page.
I hear you. I’d love to be there too!