National Nude Day

National Nude Day is a holiday that’s observed and celebrated all over the world on the 14th of July. As the name of this holiday suggests, it’s a day on which people are encouraged to remove all of their clothing and enjoy their nakedness. Not only does the act of being naked make a person feel free, but it’s also a good way to cool off on a hot day—and there are pretty good odds that the 14th of July is likely to be a hot day in many parts of the world.

It’s also a good day for people to embrace naturism and to think about how they connect to the rest of nature. This holiday originated in New Zealand—where it was highly successful—but has quickly spread to other Western countries. Now, it’s celebrated on just about every continent.

History Of National Nude Day

This non-official holiday was created by television presenter and former rugby player Marc Ellis, who dared people to streak in front of New Zealand’s Prime Minister Helen Clark around the beginning of the twenty-first century. Since then, it has spread around the globe and is now celebrated in over 30 different countries.

The History Of Nudity

Modern humans have been around for approximately 350,000 years, and for most of that time, they were nude. At some point, they lost the hair that protected them from the sun and insect bites—the same hair covering other primates. Scientists aren’t sure why they lost the hair, but it’s believed that hunting wild game required early humans to run long distances, which required them to have a way to cool off under the African sun.

Not having hair allowed them to perspire more easily, which can help lower body temperature. However, not having body hair also required that humans adopt some form of clothing to protect themselves from the environment. Scientists estimate that approximately 83,000 years ago, some humans began to wear some form of clothing. This likely occurred in Africa to protect humans from the sun.

Around this same time, clothing evolved alongside body adornment such as body paint, jewelry, and eventually tattoos. Scientists came up with this timeline by observing that clothing lice diverged from head lice at approximately that time. It’s believed that wearing clothing was a behavioral adaptation, one that protected humans from the sun and the cold in colder climates.

The Benefits Of Nudity

Several studies have discovered there are certain health benefits to nudity. We discovered these benefits while we were researching this holiday. Some of these benefits include:

  • Lower risk of Alzheimer’s in people who run barefoot. It’s believed walking barefoot stimulates neurons in the brain.
  • Higher levels of Vitamin D in the body—due to more sun exposure by the skin.
  • Better circulation—circulation is often restricted by clothing.

Facts About Nudity

After our research, we discovered that we had uncovered a ton of fun facts about nudity, so we decided to go ahead and list some of these facts below. We hope everyone reading these factoids will appreciate and enjoy them.

  • According to some surveys, approximately 11% of people who shop online do so while they’re nude.
  • The first recorded instance of streaking in public was in London in 1799. Of course, that’s only the first recorded case, and people have been doing it for thousands of years.
  • Streaking reached its popularity during the 1970s, and some reports have even called it a “streaking epidemic.”
  • In 2003, the World Naked Bike Ride was created. Since its inception, it has appeared in over 74 cities across 17 countries.
  • In the United States, only about 12% of people sleep in the nude. In the United Kingdom, about 30% of people sleep in the nude.
  • Some of the ways of describing nakedness include wearing your birthday suit, being buck naked, in the buff, stark naked, au naturel, and being as nude as the day you were born.

Observing National Nude Day

This holiday is celebrated by being nude for the entire day or at least a considerable amount of time on this day. If you want to observe National Nude Day, then we urge that you do it responsibly and within the confines of the law. In most places, being nude in public can and will result in fines and/or being arrested.

If you want to observe this day, then we recommend doing so in the privacy of your own home. If you have a suitable privacy fence, you can also observe this holiday in your backyard. Some people might want to visit a nudist resort or even a nude beach on this day.

Nudist resorts and beaches can be found all over the world, and they’re a great way to celebrate this holiday with like-minded individuals. While you’re observing this holiday, don’t forget to use the hashtag #NationalNudeDay to let everyone know that you’re observing it.

When is it?
This year (2024)
July 14 Sunday
Next year (2025)
July 14 Monday
Last year (2023)
July 14 Friday
Topic
Activity & Action, Lifestyle