<p align="justify">Another Friendship Day is around the corner and if you are not the type who turns up your nose at these kind of occasions, then we are sure you are excited! No matter how frivolous it might seem, it is always nice to have a special day to tell your loved ones how much they mean to you.<br /><br />A good way to do this would be by the way of gifts of course! But while this day would typically mean an explosion in the sale of colourful friendship bands (single-handedly given cult status by ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’), there has been a shift towards more useful gifts of late.</p>.<p align="justify"><br />“We find bands quite kiddish and prefer gifting something that can be used on a daily basis. Last year, I gifted my friend a set of big earrings while she gave me a cap with ‘artist’ written on it. The boys in our group usually give us chocolates,” says Ishdeep Kaur, a student of Army Institute of Fashion and Design.<br /><br />But this time, Ishdeep and her friends are planning to spend time with each other, instead of just handing out gifts. “We are going to watch a movie. It is our way of celebrating this special bond between us,” she says.<br /><br />Vivek Gupta, freelance visual artiste, agrees. “What we usually do on this day is go for a drive in the hills and then head out for lunch. All of us are into music so we also jam at a park or some other place like that. We may also catch a movie or go to a pub to dance the night away,” he says.<br /><br />Talking about how spending time is the best gift one can give someone in today’s busy times, Vivek adds, “No one has time for each other these days so giving company is appreciated. Hanging out with the bunch is our way of showing love.”<br /><br />But that said, gifts are not being shunned either. Creativity and originality are the buzzwords when it comes to choosing gifts for friends.<br /><br />Shubhra Chadda, co-founder, Chumbak, says “There has been a shift when it comes to gifting on such special days. Many are opting for quirky gifts like bags, jewellery, tops, collectibles and home décor to gift this time.”<br /><br />Experience-based gifts are another trend that has been on an upward surge for quite some time. From dedicating live songs to your closest buddies, enrolling both of you into an arts or crafts workshop to even getting a photo shoot done, nothing is too much anymore.<br /><br />Radhika Mukherji, co-founder and CEO at Happydemic, says “People are open to experiments here. With an increasing awareness that experiences bring more happiness than materialistic gifts, everything from musical gigs to art workshops every unique experience is a fad here.”<br /><br />It is said that friends are the family we choose for ourselves. So why not make them truly feel like ‘the chosen one’?</p>
<p align="justify">Another Friendship Day is around the corner and if you are not the type who turns up your nose at these kind of occasions, then we are sure you are excited! No matter how frivolous it might seem, it is always nice to have a special day to tell your loved ones how much they mean to you.<br /><br />A good way to do this would be by the way of gifts of course! But while this day would typically mean an explosion in the sale of colourful friendship bands (single-handedly given cult status by ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’), there has been a shift towards more useful gifts of late.</p>.<p align="justify"><br />“We find bands quite kiddish and prefer gifting something that can be used on a daily basis. Last year, I gifted my friend a set of big earrings while she gave me a cap with ‘artist’ written on it. The boys in our group usually give us chocolates,” says Ishdeep Kaur, a student of Army Institute of Fashion and Design.<br /><br />But this time, Ishdeep and her friends are planning to spend time with each other, instead of just handing out gifts. “We are going to watch a movie. It is our way of celebrating this special bond between us,” she says.<br /><br />Vivek Gupta, freelance visual artiste, agrees. “What we usually do on this day is go for a drive in the hills and then head out for lunch. All of us are into music so we also jam at a park or some other place like that. We may also catch a movie or go to a pub to dance the night away,” he says.<br /><br />Talking about how spending time is the best gift one can give someone in today’s busy times, Vivek adds, “No one has time for each other these days so giving company is appreciated. Hanging out with the bunch is our way of showing love.”<br /><br />But that said, gifts are not being shunned either. Creativity and originality are the buzzwords when it comes to choosing gifts for friends.<br /><br />Shubhra Chadda, co-founder, Chumbak, says “There has been a shift when it comes to gifting on such special days. Many are opting for quirky gifts like bags, jewellery, tops, collectibles and home décor to gift this time.”<br /><br />Experience-based gifts are another trend that has been on an upward surge for quite some time. From dedicating live songs to your closest buddies, enrolling both of you into an arts or crafts workshop to even getting a photo shoot done, nothing is too much anymore.<br /><br />Radhika Mukherji, co-founder and CEO at Happydemic, says “People are open to experiments here. With an increasing awareness that experiences bring more happiness than materialistic gifts, everything from musical gigs to art workshops every unique experience is a fad here.”<br /><br />It is said that friends are the family we choose for ourselves. So why not make them truly feel like ‘the chosen one’?</p>
