It is that time of year again folks. As we enter into the holiday season the air gets chilly and faces get hairy... really hairy. That's right, brace yourselves because it is time for yet another No Shave November! But how many of us actually know the history behind No Shave November? Why do we do it? This is something I have always been a little curious about, so after doing some research here is what I found out!
The earliest records of something similar to what we call "No Shave November" actually dates back to ancient Greece. While there was no such thing as the month November in this time, the concept is similar. The guardians would spend thirty days imitating the images of the gods in order to further enhance their education. This later was expanded by Aristotle to include growing beards during that time frame as a practice of ethics.
However, the "No Shave November" we celebrate today can actually be traced back to as recent as 2004. A group of men in Australia rose awareness for prostate cancer by growing mustaches for 30 days, something that many cancer patients are unable to do due to treatments. This was dubbed as "Movember" which is slightly different than No Shave November because it involves only growing mustaches. No Shave November includes no facial hair grooming of any kind for the entire month of November. No Shave November also entails men acting as gentlemen for the entire 30 days, even though men should probably be doing that every day anyway. Another cool thing that I learned about No Shave November is that a lot of people actually donate the money that they would have spent on grooming materials to cancer research and education! How awesome is that?
So what can we do to make the most out of this No Shave November while celebrating its history?
1. Educate others on the history of No Shave November!
You do not have to include the information about ancient Greece (unless you want to), but tell others about how No Shave November was actually created to raise awareness for and fight prostate cancer. Or just send them this article!
2. No cheating!
Don't touch that beard! Save your money and appreciate the fact that you are healthy and can even grow facial hair.
3. Donate the money you saved!
If you have the means to donate money to cancer research and education, you totally should! Treatment of cancer is a tricky thing, but there are many ways in which it can be prevented that not everybody is aware of.
Everybody have a happy November and LET IT GROW!
