Children (and adults) around the world often exchange physical tokens to mark their bond. Twisting a few threads together to make a friendship bracelet may seem simple, but it is part of a long and rich history.
Ancient times
Textile arts based on decorative knots, the predecessor of what we now call macrame, have ancient origins. There are examples from China that date as far back as 481 BC. The use of this craft specifically for creating friendship bracelets may be traced to Mesoamerican indigenous communities such as the Maya.
Early spread
Knot-based art was common in the Arab world during the Middle Ages. It was brought to Spain in the 1400s under Moorish rule; from there, it spread to other parts of Europe. Macrame is a French word but originates from the Arab ‘miqrama’, a term that means ‘ornamental fringe’. By Victorian times, it was a highly popular craft.
20th century
It was in the 1970s that friendship bracelets started to be worn more widely as a fashion statement; however, they could be more than an accessory. In the 1980s in particular, many Mayans disappeared or were massacred as part of the ongoing Guatemalan Civil War. Wearing a knotted bracelet became a symbol of protest by peasants and indigenous people against the military-led government.
21st century
Native Americans in the US have their own friendship bracelet traditions and have used knotted bracelets as a symbol of resistance; for example, they were worn at protests over the Dakota Access Pipeline.
Friendship bracelets also continue to be used as fashion accessories. They have been popularised by celebrities such as Taylor Swift, who referenced a friendship bracelet in her 2022 song You’re on Your Own, Kid. Fans now often wear and trade them at her concerts
You can easily buy a macrame kit from a craft specialist such as /www.woolcouturecompany.com/collections/macrame-kits and make your own.
Creating and wearing a friendship bracelet today makes you part of an ancient tradition, linking you to all the other cultures and periods when threads were knotted together to symbolise something greater.
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