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8 Things To Do For Your BFF On National Best Friends Day, Because You're The Best

What would we do without our besties? When we're little, they're the ones we turn to for playing pretend, making paper fortunetellers, and confiding secrets. As grownups, we look to our closest friends for laughs, sympathy, and often a helping hand when we don't know where else to turn. You might not have known this (I know I didn't), but there's an actual day to celebrate these special people: National Best Friends Day 2019 is coming up. So go ahead and update your calendar app, and while you're at it, add a reminder to reach out to your BFFs before the day is over.

National Days Calendar marks June 8 as National Best Friends Day in the United States, and according to the site, it falls on the same day every year (unlike, say, Father's Day, which is always the third Sunday in June, regardless of the numbered date). As luck would have it, in 2019, National Best Friends Day falls on a Saturday. That makes it a perfect opportunity to plan something nice to do with your closest pal, if you live close enough to honor the day in person. Even if you're separated by the miles, you can still do something meaningful for your bestie (more on this in a minute).

If you don't remember growing up celebrating Best Friends Day, don't worry: You didn't. Holidays Calendar explained that the exact origin of the day is unknown, but that it may have started in 2002 in Richmond, VA, as a local initiative that took on a life of its own. As the story goes, a group of artist pals planned to throw a party at a water park to celebrate their friendship, but they decided to expand it to anyone who wanted to come and give a shout-out to their best friends. They advertised the "Best Friends Day" far and wide, and it caught on more quickly than anyone could have imagined. Thanks to social media, which was just coming into its own back then, the idea of a national day for friends was spread beyond Richmond, and now, the whole country (and even Canada) recognizes it.

True, you won't find your favorite store advertising huge Best Friends Day sales (although they should), or people sporting BFD awareness ribbons on their clothes and social media feeds (what color goes with friendship, anyway?). But you can still find ways to make the day meaningful to you and your closest friends. Here are just a few thoughts:

Text or call.

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Super obvi, I know, but so often we let ourselves get so busy that we forget to connect even in the simplest of ways. If you haven't touched base with your bestie in a while, even a quick phone greeting will let them know they matter to you.

Send an e-card.

Sites like 123 Greetings and Blue Mountain have large selections of friendship messages, from silly to sentimental. There's sure to be one that resonates with you and your closest pal.

Grab a coffee or lunch.

Taking some time for a get-together without the kids frees you up for heartfelt conversation and, hopefully, some laughs as well.

Create a memory book.

Put together the photos, ticket stubs, quotes, and other mementos that signify times special to just the two of you. Give it to your friend, and have a tissue handy.

Celebrate the other events of the day.

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This year, June 8 also happens to be National Rose' Day and National Jelly-Filled Doughnut Day. What the heck — combine them all for a day to remember!

Give a shout-out on your feed.

Tag your friend along with a memorable picture and the hashtag #nationalbestfriendsday. Go for all the feels and list all the reasons they have a dedicated space in your heart.

Cheer on your favorite horse together.

This year, June 8 also marks the Belmont Stakes, the third leg of the famous Triple Crown horse-racing championship. The two of you can go to a bar with a TV that's televising the race, or mix up a pitcher of Belmont Jewel at home and invite your bestie over.

Do something on their bucket list.

Maybe you can't whisk them away for a weekend in Fiji, but you can find something more achievable your pal has long wanted to do, and make it happen. (Matching tattoos? A hot stone massage? A sushi-making class?) If you're not sure what they're into, ask — what else are friends for?

However you and your BFF decide to spend it, happy National Best Friends Day to you both.