Today’s topic is: “National Nude Day. Share a story about being nude.”
Today is National Nude Day. Frankly, I’m glad they don’t celebrate this is January. Mid-July is a much more comfortable time of year to shed clothes.
Our culture is weird about nudity. For many, being naked equates to a sexual thing. But in other cultures, bareness is just part of the norm.
I remember the first nudist I met. I went to visit my sister in Portland, Oregon in 1999 and she took me to meet her friend “Naked George”. He lived out in the country and went without clothing for the majority of his day. I remember spending the whole time trying not to stare at his nakedness. But I also remember thinking that he seemed very happy and not at all self-conscious like I would have been.
I can’t say I’d like to be walking around my town and see everyone naked. But I think it would be great for everyone to feel confident enough about their bodies that they would be comfortable doing so (if it was culturally acceptable).
My mother still tells the story about the time I decided that the grocery store was clothing-optional. She was picking out a box of cereal and when she turned around, there I was, standing next to a pile of clothes. (I’m happy to say I wasn’t in my teens at the time. I was probably 2 or 3.)
I love that my 3- and 2-year-old daughters are completely unaware of “body image”. They are happy to run around naked in the yard (although I try to keep them covered so they don’t get too much sun.) I’m still working on getting comfortable in my own skin.
Did you know that May 3rd is Naked Gardening Day and June 21st is Naked Hiking Day? Here in Minnesota, early May is too early to garden naked, but maybe in 2026 when I hike the Appalachian Trail, I’ll celebrate the summer equinox in the buff.
~ Phoebe DeCook
Phoebe DeCook 