Just a day for Friendship?

Just when I had my dinner and logged on to net, my sister buzzed me on the messenger, the instant messenger. After the regular chat, before logging off, she wished me happy Friendship Day. I was reading on internet sites about it, there is a Friendship day coming. I was amazed to see that now even for friends we need a day to celebrate. Having friends, I think, is a reason to celebrate in itself. Why we need a day for it? May be show to our gratitude and indebtedness. But I heard somewhere, there is no thank you and sorry in friendship.

I was curious to know the history about it, so I googled. The first sunday of month August was proclaimed National Friendship Day by the United States Congress in 1935, and has been commemorated as such annually, as told by one of the site of search result. Now, I was enlightened, both, of history of the day and the height of stupidity of these Americans. I wonder in next few years they may even come up with day called 'Selfish Day', the day to celebrate for yourself.

But, I think, there also another dimension to the propoganda of this day. Thanks to the dozens of internet sites. Even though this day was declared in 1935, its just from few years back, this tradition has started. Most of the internet sites are coming with e-cards, gifts and lots of other ideas especially for this day, a pure marketing strategy. The amplitude of this dimension can be estimated by the fact that on just typing 'Friendship day' as a search query, gives search result of more than 170000 pages.

I think, to celebrate friendship, not a day, not a month, not even a year is ample. It probably needs more than that, may be a lifetime!