Quick answer: This page collects friendship quotes, thoughts and e-card ideas for Friendship Day. In India, Friendship Day is celebrated on the first Sunday of August (the next one is Sunday, 1 August 2027), while the United Nations marks the International Day of Friendship every year on 30 July.
When is Friendship Day?
There are two main dates, and both are correct:
| Observance | Rule | Recent and next dates |
|---|---|---|
| Friendship Day in India (and several other countries) | First Sunday of August | 2 August 2026; 1 August 2027 |
| International Day of Friendship (United Nations) | 30 July every year | Thursday 30 July 2026; Friday 30 July 2027 |
The UN General Assembly proclaimed 30 July as the International Day of Friendship in 2011 (resolution 65/275), with Paraguay among the sponsors. The UN links the day to its work on a culture of peace and encourages events that build understanding between people, countries and cultures. In India, the first Sunday of August has been popular since the 1990s, especially among students and young people.
An earlier version of this article also listed a Women’s Friendship Day, an International Friendship Month in February, an “Old Friends, New Friends Week” in May and an 8 April Friendship Day in Oberlin, Ohio. We could not confirm these from reliable sources, so they have been removed.
How people celebrate Friendship Day
On Friendship Day, friends meet up, exchange small gifts and send messages. In India, tying a friendship band (a thread or bracelet) on a friend’s wrist is a popular custom, especially in schools and colleges. A short quote on a card or in a message is the easiest way to tell a friend what they mean to you, and the collection below is meant for exactly that.
Friendship Day quotes and thoughts
- “The greatest gift of life is friendship, and I have received it.”
- “My friends are my estate.”
- “I keep my friends as misers do their treasure, because, of all the things granted us by wisdom, none is greater or better than friendship.”
- “A true friend knows your weaknesses but shows you your strengths; feels your fears but fortifies your faith; sees your anxieties but frees your spirit; recognizes your disabilities but emphasizes your possibilities.”
- “People need to learn that friendship goes both ways. You can’t just talk to people when it’s convenient for you! Because one day that person might not be there!”
- “A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked.”
- “A friend is one that knows you as you are, understands where you have been, accepts what you have become, and still, gently allows you to grow.”
- “True friends are like diamonds… they are real and rare. False friends are like leaves… they are scattered everywhere.”
- “Never abandon old friends. They are hard to replace. Friendship is like wine: it gets BETTER as it grows OLDER. Just like us… I get BETTER, you get OLDER.”
- “Friendship is always a sweet responsibility, never an opportunity.”
- “One loyal friend is worth ten thousand relatives.”
- “Everyone is a friend, until they prove otherwise.”
- “Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art… It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival.”
- “Friendship is love without his wings.”
- “Everyone has a friend during each stage of life, but only the lucky ones have the same friend in all stages of life.”
- “A friend is someone who can see the truth and pain in you even when you are fooling everyone else.”
- “A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words.”
- “Friends are the family you choose.”
- “Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends leave footprints in your heart.”
- “If you need a friend and there are a hundred steps between us, you take one step towards me and I will take the other 99 to be there for you.”
- “A ring is round and has no end… and that’s how long I’ll be your friend.”
- “True friendship multiplies the good in life and divides its evils. Strive to have friends, for life without friends is like life on a desert island… to find one real friend in a lifetime is good fortune; to keep him is a blessing.”
- “Every person is a new door to a different world.”
- “Friends are like melons; shall I tell you why? To find one good you must one hundred try.”
- “Friendship isn’t about whom you have known the longest… It’s about who came, and never left your side…”
- “Our friends interpret the world and ourselves to us, if we take them tenderly and truly.”
- “It is not important to have a long friend list on Facebook and WhatsApp. But it is important to have at least one friend who can read your face like a book and ask, ‘What’s up?'”
Friendship Day cards and greetings
These e-cards can be saved and shared on Friendship Day. If you make your own, add a quote from the list above and your friend’s name.
Tips for using these quotes
- Pick one, not ten. A single quote with a personal line (“Thanks for the hostel days”) means more than a long forward.
- Match the quote to the friendship. The funny ones (the wine and melon lines) suit old friends; the reflective ones suit a card or a friend going through a hard time.
- Name the author only if you are sure. Many friendship quotes circulate with the wrong name attached, so we have not credited authors here.
- Send on the right date. Friends in India usually celebrate on the first Sunday of August; friends abroad may know 30 July or a different local date.
Want ready-to-send messages, including Hindi shayari? See our Friendship Day messages and wishes in English and Hindi. For other relationships, try our love quotes in English and Hindi.
Frequently asked questions
When is Friendship Day in 2027?
In India, on Sunday, 1 August 2027 (the first Sunday of August). The UN International Day of Friendship is on Friday, 30 July 2027.
Why are there two Friendship Day dates?
India and several other countries follow the first-Sunday-of-August custom, while the United Nations chose 30 July when it proclaimed the International Day of Friendship in 2011. Some countries have their own local dates as well.
Is Friendship Day a public holiday in India?
No. In India it always falls on a Sunday and it is not a government holiday.
Who wrote these friendship quotes?
Many were written by well-known authors, but quotes are often shared with the wrong name. Rather than risk a wrong credit, we have listed them without authors. Check a source such as Wikiquote before you print a name next to a quote.
Dates in this article were checked in October 2026 against the United Nations’ International Day of Friendship page and the record of UN General Assembly resolution 65/275. Next year’s Indian date is calculated from the first-Sunday-of-August custom.
