World Beard Day - Everything You Need To Know

No one is quite sure when World Beard Day began, but I’ve heard legends of the Danish Vikings of old, who had a special celebration to honor the beard. There was no fixed date, however, and the Vikings would have beard praising festivals whenever the mood struck them.

Sometimes they would have beard days hundreds of times a year. The celebrations of old often involved the pillaging of towns whose populations were decidedly hairless by Vikings with the most magnificent of facial hair.

The modern World Beard Day is celebrated on the first Saturday in September, the day before Father's Day. Every country over the world  enjoys World Beard Day festivities, regardless of if they are Danish or marauding Vikings.

It is much less violent, involving public events with massive throngs of facial hair admirers or private functions with small groups of friends. The guidelines are loose, as even the unbearded are invited to take part, but the primary focus should be on the face and its fuzz.

Modern World Beard Day got its start when an anonymous group of beard enthusiasts decided to take the time-honored Scandinavian tradition of beard festivities to a global stage. Every nation and continent have developed their own traditions and customs for promoting and elevating the beard, and the holiday has become much more than it was.

The holiday is intended to showcase the beauty of the beard while at the same time, having a day where the bearded people of the world receive the recognition and respect they are due.

It is a day for those with beards to be free from responsibilities and chores; to be waited on hand, foot and beard. Ultimately though, the holiday is about fun and unity amongst bearded brethren and the smooth-skinned, bare faces that love them.

Public events may involve contests or displays of bearded prowess. Music shows and special foods are common as with all big festivals. I've even seen face painting booths where the unfortunate few who can't (or the foolish few who won't) grow a beard can have one painted on so that they can live out their dreams of at least looking like they have a bushy beard for one, fleeting moment.

Private events often consist of bearded comrades engaging in the most masculine acts possible. Activities usually fall into one of two categories. Constructive ones, such as building a bearded human pyramid, and destructive ones, such as building a bonfire. There are few strict rules, only mandates that revelers should follow including:

When celebrating World Beard Day, it is important to ask yourself, "What does my beard mean to me?"

Here are some fun facts I have learned about beard celebration from around the world.

World Beard Day is not to be confused with Movember or Decembeard. Other than being a day rather than a month, there are several key differences between them.

Movember is an event during the month of November where men grow the beard's tiny, ineffectual cousin, the mustache. Movember is a noble undertaking, though, as the mustaches the men grow raise awareness and funds for the Movember Foundation. This organization tackles men’s health issues such as testicular cancer and suicide.

Decembeard is the same thing, only in December and with a more glorious style of facial hair. The funds raised during Decembeard go to fighting bowel cancer. Find more information and participate here.

These may not be fantastical jubilations for beards everywhere, but they are worthwhile endeavors I encourage all men to participate in.