You don’t get to choose your family, but you do get to choose your friends. Everyone loves a ride-or-die that’ll be by their side for life. We’ve been honoring our deep friendships through written words and symbolic gifts for generations. Learn more about the friendship symbols we’ve used to show our affection and what they’ve transformed into today.
Celtic Symbol of Friendship: Claddagh
The Claddagh ring is a prominent feature in Celtic history that’s been passed down since at least the 18th century. This symbol features two hands clasping a heart that bears a crown, and was traditionally given as tokens of friendship, loyalty, and love.
Today, most people associate Claddagh rings with romantic love, but it’s not limited to this kind of affection. Your bond with the person who gave it to you determines exactly what sort of connection it represents. It’s no wonder that this delicate symbol is still so popular.
Chinese Symbol of Friendship: 友
Japanese Symbol of Friendship: Shin’yuu
Just like with Chinese dialects, Japanese is a logogram language. Basically, the written form uses symbols rather than sounds to represent words or phrases. In Japanese, the word Shin’yuu and accompanying symbol in Kanji (one of the written forms of Japanese) is reserved for your best friend, your bosom buddy.
Roman Friendship Symbols: Amicitia and Fides
Friendship in the Language of Flowers
Although the Victorians popularized using flowers to send messages to your loved ones, the practice has been going on for much longer. Yellow roses are the most notorious of the friend flowers, though orange tulips, sunflowers, and daisies are also common choices.
Everyone loves finding a surprise bouquet at their front door, and there’s no better way to show your friends you love and appreciate them than with a cheerful and bright colored flower arrangement.
Hawaiian Friendship Symbols: Shaka
Modern Friendship Symbols: Matching Tattoos
Although tattoos are an ancient human tradition, they only resurfaced as a western trend in the late-19th century. Except for the odd veteran with militaria tattooed on them, it wasn’t until in recent years that tattoos became less stigmatized, leading more people to recreationally get tattoos.
Thus sparked the ‘matching tattoo’ trend that’s led so many college kids to canonize their friendships in ink. The possibilities are endless, from matching the exact design to sharing parts of a whole piece. If you love getting permanent art, it’s a special way to cement your bond.
Modern Friendship Symbols: Friendship Bracelets and Necklaces
From romantic gestures with lockets full of snippets of your hair to mourning jewelry worn with mementos of the people you lost, jewelry has been used for centuries as a way to show your affection for someone.
However, you don’t have to feel a deep romantic love for a person to share a piece of jewelry together. For decades, kids have been customizing friendship bracelets with letters, phrases, and matching designs. And fast-fashion creators have manufactured a host of more sophisticated designs adults can buy for each other.
If you love your friend a whole lot, then consider getting them a matching friendship bracelet the next time they’re feeling down.
Animals as Symbols of Friendship
Did you know that there are some specific animals that symbolize friendship? These include:
- Dogs
- Turtledoves
- Dolphins
- Horses
- Wolves
These animals all have traits that align them with friendship, from the symbolism of the dolphin as a loyal protector to the real-life love of ‘man’s best friend.’
Gemstones That Mean Friendship
Infinity Symbol for Eternal Friendship
Though English mathematician John Wallis is credited with coming up with the mathematic meaning of the infinity symbol, today it’s often associated with eternal love and friendship.
Honor Your Friends in a Fun Way
Pop culture is so obsessed with romantic love that the deeply enriching experience of platonic love doesn’t get the praise it deserves. Friendships are some of the most important connections you make in your life.
So much so, that various symbols and tokens have been created to honor this experience. You can also use something that has a special meaning to both of you as a shared symbol or your individual friendship. Whether it’s as a gift, message, or something the two of you share; there are so many ways to express and honor your friendship.
No matter how you do it, you can show your friends some love with these beautiful symbols that commemorate your bond.
