The International Day of Friendship

 "Friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain. It's not something you learn in school. But if you haven't learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven't learned anything."

                                                                                                      Muhammad Ali

 On July 30 the whole world celebrates the International Day of Friendship. This holiday is rather young.The General Assembley of the UNO proclaimed  this holiday  international to strengthen friendly relations between different nations. "The friendship between peoples, countries, cultures and individuals can inspire the efforts to ensure peace and makes it possible to build bridges between societies that honor cultural diversity", - the document says.

Every nation has always appreciated friendship and considered it as one of the greatest values in life.

I have collected the Ukrainian and Russian equivalents(because these are my two native languages) to well-known English proverbs about friendship and represented them in this table:

English	Meaning	Ukrainian	Russian
False friends are worse than open enemies.	It's better to know who your real enemies are rather than trust someone who pretends to be a friend but is capable of stabbing you in the back.	Фальшиві друзі гірші за явних ворогів.	Фальшивые друзья хуже явных врагов
A friend in need is a friend indeed./ At need one sees who his friend is.	Someone who helps you when you are in trouble is a real friend.	Друг пізнається в біді.	Друг познаётся в беде.
A friend to all is a friend to none.	Someone who is a friend to everyone makes none of them feel special.	Всім брат — нікому не брат.	Приятелей много, да друга нет
All are not friends that speak us fair.	Only real friends will discuss and not be always agree with you	Недруг піддакує, а друг сперечається.	Друг спорит, а недруг поддакивает
A friend in the court is better than a penny in the purse	It’s good to have people who will support you	Не май сто кіп у полі, май друзів доволі	Не имей сто рублей, а имей сто друзей. Что мне законы, коли судьи знакомы.
It's good to have some friends both in heaven and hell	It’s good to know useful people	Треба і в пеклі приятеля мати.	Связи решают все.
A man is known by the company he keeps.	You can say what person is when you meet with his/her friends	Яку дружбу заведеш, таке й життя поведеш	Скажи мне, кто твой друг, и я скажу, кто ты.
Prosperity makes friends, adversity tries them.	When you get in trouble, people who stay with you and support you are your real friends	Дружба родиться в біді, а гартується в труді.	Не тот друг, кто на пиру гуляет, а тот, кто в беде помогает./ В радости сыщут, в горе забудут.
Old tunes are sweetest, old friends are surest./ Old friends and old wine are best./ Make new friends but keep the old, for one is silver and the other is gold.	It’s good to make new friends, but only your old friends are the best, because you know them better and longer	Старий друг — кращий двох нових.	Старый друг – лучше новых двух./ Новых друзей наживай, а старых не теряй.
Friendship and importunate begging feed at the same dish	Even the most solid friendship cannot withstand the test of money	Брат мій, а хліб їж свій.	Дружба дружбой, а денежки/табачок врозь.
Friendship is not to be bought at a fair.	A real friendship cannot be bought at any price	Друзів за гроші не купиш	За деньги дружбу не купишь.
A friend’s frown is better than а foe’s smile.	Only a real  friend can emphasize on your mistakes	Не той друг, хто медом маже, а той, хто правду каже.	Лучше горькая правда друга, чем лесть врага.
A broken friendship may be soldered, but will never be sound.	If you quarrel with your friend, you can’t be close anymore. There will be a coolness in your relations	Тріснутого горщика склеїш, та води не наллєш.)	Замирённый друг ненадежен.
Books and friends should be few but good.	You choose what to read, so you choose your friends.	Справжні друзі, як і мудрі книги — рідкість.	Настоящие друзья, как и мудрые книги – редкость.
Before you make a friend eat a bushel of salt with him./ Sudden friendship, sure repentance.	You should get to know better  someone before to call him/her your friend	Не дізнавайся одного в три дні, дізнавайся в три роки.	Друг не испытанный – что орех не колотый. Сердечный друг не родится вдруг.

As we can see friendship takes a very important place in our lives and is international. And don't forget!

Happy International Day of Friendship!