National No Bra Day is an observance day that is celebrated on the 13th of October. On this day, millions of women leave their bras at home to promote the cause of breast cancer awareness and remind women everywhere that they should get screened for breast cancer on a regular basis.

It’s also a day when people rally to raise much-needed money for breast cancer research. This day is celebrated without a bra because many women who have survived breast cancer can no longer go without wearing a bra because they need it to hold their prosthesis in place after undergoing surgery. This observance day sits almost square in the middle of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

History of National No Bra Day

The roots of National No Bra Day can be traced back to Toronto, Canada in 2011. This is when a plastic surgeon named Dr. Mitchell Brown decided to create BRA (Breast Reconstruction Awareness) Day. The day is to educate patients about mastectomy surgeries and the choice of reconstruction.

October 18th was chosen for this observance holiday and it’s still recognized as an important day for breast cancer awareness. However, it is believed that sometime during 2011, as this holiday spread from Canada to the rest of the world,  it also managed to spawn its sister holiday: National No Bra Day on October 13th.

Facts About Breast Cancer

• In the U.S., 1 out of 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetime.
• Almost 3 million breast cancer survivors reside in the U.S. today.
• In the U.S., breast cancer is the second leading cause of death among women.
• Breast cancer is the #1 diagnosed cancer in women today.
• It’s estimated that in the U.S. almost 300,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer.
• In the U.S., breast cancer kills more than 40,000 women a year.
• Every 2 minutes a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer.
• Every 13 minutes a woman with breast cancer will die.
• Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the world.

Observing National No Bra Day

One of the ways women observe this holiday is by not wearing their bras today. However, while it may not be possible for women to go without a bra on this day, some people instead choose to wear the color purple to observe this day.

People, both men and women, who want to also take part in observing this day can also post on social media using the hashtags: #NationalNoBraDay or even just #NoBraDay. People are also encouraged to donate money or time to the various agencies that are either looking for a cure for breast cancer or helping empower women after they have had breast cancer.

These agencies include Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Living Beyond Breast Cancer, the American Cancer Society, the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Cancer Research UK, and the Breast Cancer Alliance. Women are also strongly encouraged to use this day to get a mammogram or use this day as a reminder to get one. Annual mammograms save lives.

Breast cancer that is detected early is quite treatable and mammograms can show changes in a woman’s breast due to cancer up to 2 years before cancer can be manually felt by either the patient or a doctor. Earlier detection can prevent the need for extensive and/or aggressive cancer treatments and may also improve the chances of conserving a woman’s breast.

Conclusion

National No Bra Day is a great day for women to leave their bras back at home, wear purple, and help spread the word about breast cancer. Raising awareness about breast cancer to help raise more money for charities and to encourage more women to get mammograms will result in fewer women dying from this disease.