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SatDec 28

National Call a Friend Day – December 28, 2024

Christmas is over and New Year’s is on its way. But in the meantime, December 28 is National Call a Friend Day! Between the stress of the daily grind at work, the needs of your family, and ensuring you have a little time for yourself, our lives can get awfully hectic. National Call a Friend Day reminds us all to take a few minutes, pick up the phone, and call that friend you’ve been meaning to get back in touch with. In modern times, technology has the capacity to unite us more than ever before. The internet isn’t fazed by distance, time zones, or how much money you have in the bank. But in our day to day lives of whizzing from one task to the next (or even multi-tasking on all our projects at once), technology often has the opposite effect. Checking emails, answering texts, responding to Facebook notifications, and other tech-based tasks can fill up our lives and actually make us feel less connected to the people we’re spending all our time connecting with! So with the holiday season rapidly drawing to a close this year, make an effort on December 28 to reach out with a phone call and connect, voice to voice, with a good friend.

What, there’s a National Call a Friend Day? Make the most of this meaningful holiday with our best tips and gift ideas. Check out 100 Birthday Wishes for Your Best Friend.

National Call a Friend Day timeline

February, 2004
Facebook Founded

Social networking site Facebook was created, making it easier than ever to stay connected to friends.

2011
On the Go

It was estimated that more calls using mobile phones were made than wired devices in Britain.

2014
One Text Message Away

Texting overtook phone calls as the most popular medium of communication for people under the age of 50.

December 28, 2019
National Call a Friend Day

National Call a Friend Day is celebrated annually to bridge the communication gap between friends who have been out of touch.

National Call a Friend Day Activities

  1. Call a friend

    This tip wins no prizes for being unexpected, but the very best way for you to get into the spirit of this holiday is to pick up thephone and actually call that friend. You could phone one friend and call it a day, or you can work your way through that little black book of people you've been meaning to reconnect with. You can use your phone, connect through Skype, or use any number of the apps out there that let you communicate voice to voice.

  2. Get chatty with a wrong number

    Everyone makes a mistake now and then, but on National Call a Friend Day, you have the opportunity to convert a wrong number into a friend you didn't know you had. If you receive a phone call on December 28 from someone you don't know, take an extra moment to be friendly and try out a little small talk. Not the passive sit-around-and-wait type? Try dialing a wrong number on purpose and see if you can squeeze in a conversation with the person who picks up. You might just make somebody’s day.

  3. Hold a getting-in-touch party

    Chances are, a few of your friends are friends with each other. And chances are, at least one of your mutual friends lives somewhere outside comfortable visiting distance. On December 28, celebrate National Call a Friend Day in communal style by inviting your local cohorts to a party themed around getting back in touch with those friends who couldn't make it in person. Dial up your mutual friends on speakerphone and have fun connecting as a group.

Why We Love National Call a Friend Day

  1. All you need is love

    Humans are social creatures, and we tend to do best when we foster loving, supportive relationships with others. Going it alone can be tough, andwhile there are a few hermits out there who shun society and contact with other humans, most of us aren't built for a life of solitude off the grid. Whether you're a social butterfly with countless friends in different groups, or you're an introvert with a hand-picked squad of a few very close companions, your interactions with your friends plays a major role in your self-esteem, confidence, and overall sense of well-being.

  2. Voices make more impact

    Once upon a time, the written word was mostly used forprinted publications like novels, newspapers, and encyclopedias. People wrote letters to each other, but those letters took weeks or even months to reach their intended recipients. But the internet completely revolutionized how we communicate, and youngergenerations are twice as likely to reply to a text as they are to answer a phone call. Voice-based communications aren't as popular today, but studies show that oral conversations stimulate wider areas of the brain than text-based conversations on the same topic.

  3. Staying in touch can be tough

    Friends have a habit of understanding that you're busy. Some friends don't want to bother you, distract you, or take you away from your important work. In our modern era, we've developed the tendency to not call our friends. Out of respect for their time, we tend to send texts, emails, or messages through social media that our friends can answer at their leisure. But on National Call a Friend Day, we have the perfect reason to dial up the people we care about most, making a very human connection in our technological age.

National Call a Friend Day dates

YearDateDay
2024December 28Saturday
2025December 28Sunday
2026December 28Monday
2027December 28Tuesday
2028December 28Thursday

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