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Since the dawn of civilization, men have worn beards. At different times, the attitude towards it changed: either it was available only to pharaohs and kings, or it was worn by the poor.
Nowadays, everyone decides for himself: to shave or grow. By the presence of a beard, men emphasize their masculinity, status and originality. And the popularity of the beard has increased so much that a special day dedicated to it even appeared on the holiday calendar.
What date is World Beard Day in 2022?
The celebration dates back to 2010 and is celebrated annually on the first Saturday of September. World Beard Day 2022 falls on on September 3. Around the world, the holiday is accompanied by parades, flash mobs, photo shoots and festivities.
In Our Country, by the way, on April 6, Bearded Man’s Day is also celebrated – the day when Catherine II in 1772 abolished Peter’s tax on beards.
Interesting facts about the holiday
| Who was the first to celebrate | The Danish Vikings glorified the beard as early as the XNUMXth century. There was no fixed day, and the celebration could take place many times a year. It all depended on how successful the next campaign was. |
| Records | The longest male beard was recorded in 1927. Its length exceeded 5 meters! But the Indian Bhai Sarvan Singh with a beard of 2,5 meters got into the Guinness Book of Records. But there are record holders among women: for example, Vivian Wheeler managed to grow a beard up to 30 cm. Due to a genetic disease, the woman became famous all over the world. |
| Competitions | In Our Country, since 2013, the championship of beards and mustaches has been held. The awards are held in various categories, and anyone can participate, including women and children – so the competition becomes more interesting, and the holiday itself is large-scale and popular. |
history of the holiday
In different periods of history, facial hair was either an obligatory attribute of appearance, then fell under prohibitions, then came back into fashion. The first to organize festivities in honor of the beard were the Danish Vikings. Warriors showed their masculine strength in various competitions, measured their beards and celebrated it with noisy celebrations.
World Beard Day has been celebrated since 2010. In connection with what events, and who came up with this idea – history, as they say, is silent. But the day was not chosen by chance. September 5, 1698 – and this day was the first Saturday of the month – Peter I established a tax on wearing a beard. Apparently, out of solidarity with the bearded men of Our Country in the XNUMXth century, modern bearers of mustaches and other facial hair decided to celebrate en masse, flaunting their “garibaldi” and French “forks”.
Holiday traditions
Nowadays, every year people gather in different places around the world to flaunt their beards and mustaches. On such unusual holidays, various flash mobs, photo shoots and parades are organized.
Some customs are specific to a particular region or city.
For example, in the United States, hundreds of bearded men gather every year to set a new record. In 2015, they built a five-level human pyramid of 29 bearded men. And in Australia, the owners of thick beards and mustaches compete in throwing axes at a distance. Every year more and more people join them. The musical group The Beards is usually present at the celebration. In the south of Spain, non-standard boxing fights take place: one of the participants must have a thick beard, and the other does not. Comic fights, but still gather thousands of spectators. To the delight of the adherents of this culture, it is the bearded men who often win.
By the way, anyone can celebrate World Beard Day, even those who do not want to wear a beard, cannot grow it or cannot for some reason. On this day, beardless men try not to shave as a sign of solidarity and support for friends and all owners of a luxurious stylish beard.
Popular questions and answers
We analyze popular questions from readers about the beard.
Who introduced the fashion for a beard in Our Country?
But during the reign of Peter I, the beard was banned: the emperor even introduced a special tax to instill in the population the European fashion for smooth faces. And only Catherine II in the XVIII century canceled the decree of Peter the Great, but with the condition that the military, courtiers and civil servants are still required to shave.
Alexander III brought facial hair back into fashion – by the way, he became the first bearded ruler after Peter I.
Why can the color of the beard be different from the color of the hair on the head?
What are the benefits of having a beard?
But do not forget that the beard requires regular care – just like your hairstyle. Fortunately, today there are specialists who know how to work with facial hair in almost every locality, and you can buy care products in stores.