Source: Flashpop / Getty
What would life be without best friends? Best friends make you laugh until your sides hurt. They pump you up when you need confidence. They nurture you when you hit lows and are there to celebrate your highs.
Close friendships are even good for your health. The Library of Medicine reports having close friendships helps a person cope with stress, and makes it less likely they deal with certain types of stress in the first place. Close friendships are especially important for Black women. One assistant professor of psychology explained on Psychology Today that friendship between Black women lets them “Carve out safe emotional and psychological spaces away from negative experiences of discrimination.”
So, celebrating National Best Friends Day isn’t just fun – it’s essential. Here are date ideas for honoring the day with your bestie.
Enjoy A Five-Star Meal
Source: Caia Image / Getty
Go all out and treat yourself and your bestie to a night of incredible food and craft cocktails. Make that reservation, pull out those pandemic heels, pull up to that restaurant and eat your hearts out. Your friendship deserves the best wine, the tastiest food and the most decadent of desserts. It is a love story for sure and deserves to be honored with excellent cuisine.
Paint Each Other
Source: Maskot / Getty
Find a sip and paint night in your area and bring in a photo that is meaningful to your friendship. Maybe it’s from that all girls trip to Jamaica or one of your bachelorette parties. Surprise each other with your favorite selfies. You could also paint a portrait of your friend – or make it her alter ego.
Walk Down Memory Lane
Source: Carol Yepes / Getty
You probably have hundreds of photos of you and your bestie in your phone. It’s time to finally send those off to a lab to get printed. Pick out highlights from throughout the years and put them in a photo album. Then pour yourselves some good drinks, curl up on the couch and walk down memory lane. Remembering all that you’ve been through together and how long you’ve known each other can strengthen your bond.
Enjoy A Spa Day
Source: FG Trade / Getty
Step away from the distractions of life and enjoy a spa day together this National Best Friends Day. Book some treatments like massages, facials and body wraps. Soak in the Jacuzzi. Chill by the pool for a bit. Enjoy a healthy lunch in the spa café.
Check Something Off Your Bucket Lists
Source: Vladimir Vladimirov / Getty
Good friends make each other brave. You both have things you’ve always wanted to do but haven’t quite had the nerve to. It could be sky diving, tattoos, or finally publishing those poems you wrote. For National Best Friend’s Day, you can each pick out an item on your bucket list and commit to finally doing it – together.
Send Flowers + A Gift Card
Source: Caia Image / Getty
If you can’t be with your bestie for National Best Friends Day, send flowers and a gift card. It could be for her favorite restaurant, clothing store, day spa or movie theater. Or better yet, send her a gift card to an experience and treat yourself to the same one, at the same time. You can FaceTime from your respective cafes and feel like you’re having lunch together.
Blow Up Her Instagram Story
Source: blackCAT / Getty
Show the world how much your BFF means to you and fill up that story with photos and memories of your friendship. Tag her obsessively. Dig up those deep cut photos that she’s forgotten about and add funny/loving captions. She’ll enjoy opening her phone throughout the day and finding that you’ve added another one.
