National No Beard Day Date in the current year: October 18, 2024

Societal attitudes toward facial hair have varied widely throughout human history depending on various factors such as religious and cultural traditions, fashion trends, etc. Even though beards were the norm in many ancient cultures, shaving was already around back then. Archaeological evidence suggests that in prehistoric times people used sharpened flints, clam shells, and shark’s teeth for shaving. In ancient Egypt, razors made of bronze, copper, and even gold were used for personal hygiene.

Shaving started to become more common in the late 17th century thanks to the introduction of the modern straight razors. They were first manufactured in Sheffield, England in 1680 and soon began to be exported to other countries. Straight razors remained in common use until the mid-20th century, when they were driven off the market by safety razors and electric razors.

Today, shaving or not shaving is mostly a matter of personal preferences, with a few exceptions such as certain religions and occupations. Men can prefer a clean-shaven look for a variety of reasons. For some, shaving in the morning is a self-care ritual that helps them prepare for the day ahead. Some like that a smooth face makes them look younger or more professional. Some think that shaving every day is easier than maintaining a well-groomed beard. Some like the skincare benefits of shaving: the razor helps to exfoliate, i.e. get rid of dead skin cells, plus clean-shaven skin is easier to moisturize. Finally, some men simply cannot grow a beard or even a nice looking stubble.

Regardless of the reason why you prefer a smooth face to a beard or stubble, you can celebrate National No Beard Day. The origin of this unofficial holiday is somewhat unclear, but it was most likely born out of a collective online movement of people who prefer a clean-shaven look to a luscious beard or a neat stubble. On October 18, they come together to celebrate their grooming preferences and encourage others to experiment with their looks.

There are many ways to celebrate National No Beard Day. You can throw a shaving party for friends who are willing to part with their beards and rock a clean-shaven look, host a quiz on the history of shaving, splurge on a new razor and shaving products, and post a clean-shaven selfie on social media with the hashtags #NationalNoBeardDay and #NoBeardDay to spread the word about the holiday.

If you’re not a fan of shaving, you can observe World Beard Day instead. Celebrated on the first Saturday of September, the holiday was created to bring together bearded people from all over the world and elevate the global status of the beard as a symbol of manliness. You can also participate in No-Shave November, a month-long campaign to raise cancer awareness by embracing one’s hair and foregoing shaving and grooming.