NATIONAL NUDE DAY
Fast Facts
- WHEN
- July 14 every year
- ORIGIN
- Founded in New Zealand
- FUN FACT
- Benjamin Franklin was an inspired naturist
- WHERE
- Celebrated worldwide by nudists
NATIONAL NUDE DAY
Laundry is unnecessary on July 14 because it's National Nude Day! Enjoy an air bath or explore the naturist movement. We are not sure who will be celebrating today, but one thing is for sure, the observance offers a way to keep cool on a hot, sticky summer day.
#NationalNudeDay
Nudist groups around the world celebrate this holiday and take it quite seriously, too! Nudists (also known as naturists) are not perverts, even though their desire to go au naturel might be offensive to the conservative population. They are individuals who believe the human body is most beautiful in its natural state. Whether or not you agree with them, nudists encourage people to shed the restrictions of clothing and be natural.
Noted for enjoying the natural state, Benjamin Franklin would reportedly take air baths by the open window of his room allowing the fresh air to drift around his birthday suit. While Franklin didn't invent the naturist movement, he seemed to like to participate in his own random nude day.
Brief Evolution of Naturism
The Roots of Air Baths
Shedding clothes was a medical treatment in 1850s Europe. Naturopaths began opening "solar sanatoriums," prescribing heliotherapy (sunlight) and Luftbäder (air baths) to treat ailments like tuberculosis and rickets.
The First Official Club
The earliest recorded, organized nudist club in the Western sense wasn't in Europe--it was established in British India. Called The Fellowship of the Naked Trust was founded by a British district judge in the region of Matheran.
Germany's Freikörperkultur (FKK)
The natural movement found its true cultural powerhouse in Germany. The first official FKK club was founded in Essen in 1898 to counter rapid industrialization and urban pollution. Pioneers pushed the philosophy that the naked body was natural, classless, and free from shame.
The Spread of the Naturist Movement
Following WWI, the naturist movement crossed the English Channel and the Atlantic. The English Gymnosophical Society was founded in 1922, and began organizing nudist camps across New York. The camps stressed fitness and a utopian return to nature.
Making Waves in New Zealand
Books and magazines from Europe inspired New Zealanders to take up the naturist lifestyle by the 1930s. Despite severe backlash from local media and churches at the time, dedicated participants persevered and eventually established private sun-groups and campgrounds in places like the Waitākere Ranges.
International Celebration
The global naturist movement became official when the International Naturist Federation (INF) was eventually formed. The first national rally of the New Zealand Sunbathing Association was held in Whanganui—solidifying the roots that would later blossom into National Nude Day.
Some of the obvious benefits of the lifestyle include lighter luggage when traveling for vacation and as mentioned before, smaller loads of laundry. There are other benefits, too. Without the shields of clothing, the wrinkles and sagging that come with time cannot be camouflaged. Acceptance becomes very real and normal and reassuring.
However, wearing sunblock is still advisable during any outdoor activities. Watch out for poison ivy, oak, and sumac. Roses do have thorns, among many other plants and animals. When recommended, wear protective gear. Skateboarding comes to mind.
A Beginner's Guide to Celebrating National Nude Day
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Don't just strip down and run into the wild! Start at home! Spend an afternoon doing chores completely unclad. It’s a great way to normalize the feeling. Warning: Be highly selective about which chores you choose. Ironing, frying bacon, and vacuuming around prickly house plants are strictly advanced-level activities.
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If you finally visit a clothing-optional beach or resort, your instinct might be to look around. Don't. Naturist etiquette dictates strict eye-contact. Treat everyone like they are wearing a tuxedo. If you find your eyes wandering, just remember: everyone else is practicing the same restraint on you.
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Always, always carry a small towel with you. It has nothing to do with drying off and everything to do with creating a polite, hygienic barrier between your bare skin and public plastic chairs, wooden benches, or leather car seats. Think of it as your portable, personal upholstery insurance to practice hygiene.
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You might think you know how to apply SPF, but you've likely only been protecting the "public-facing" version of yourself. Places that have never seen the light of day are highly susceptible to sunburn need sunscreen, too! Apply everywhere and remember that a sunburned backside makes sitting down for dinner an absolute nightmare.
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Choose your accessories wisely. A good hat, sunglasses, and sturdy sandals are naturist staples. Sunglasses are especially great because they double as a shield for your eyes when you accidentally break Rule #2.
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Laughing is not prohibited on "free" beaches, but you shouldn't laugh at a completely naked stranger. Feel free to gaze, smile, and embrace the comedy of it, but don't laugh at someone else.
NATIONAL NUDE DAY HISTORY
The founder of National Nude Day is unknown. However, the holiday has origins in New Zealand.