2022: Nude Recreation Week!

2022: Nude Recreation Week!

July 5 – 11, 2022!

This week-long festival of body and clothes freedom recreational activities is jointly co-sponsored by the American Association of Nude Recreation (AANR) and The Naturist Society (TNS). As every summer is the “season of fun in the sun,” it is only logical and natural that major national naturist/nudist advocacy organizations host an event in honour of clean, healthy bare living. The recent tendency over the last several years is to observe this occasion after the July 4 holiday.

Nude Recreation Week was originally conceived as a marketing concept for naturist/nudist destinations and facilities to attract new members to their clientele. The thought being “increase your membership and increase your business.” The first observances were successful and evolved into a plan to encourage textile (clothed) people to try clothes freedom. It worked and soon expanded from destination focus to a general enticement for the public to try whether at home or at a clothing optional facility.

The observance of Nude Recreation Week has provided additional unintentional benefits for the bare practitioner community. Aaron, my spouse, has contributed that given the involvement of a larger population of those without previous naturist/nudist experiences and/or familiarity, many destinations or resorts were forced to re-examine their policies regarding racial and sexual exclusion. This has opened the path of inclusion to many of our community who would otherwise face exclusion.

Nude Recreation Week involves an emphasis on the numerous activities, leisure services and past-times, both active and passive, that people may engage in or undertake while clothes free. In essence, identical to what can be enjoyed when wearing garments. This isn’t to imply this special week is the only time we bare our bodies for fun and games – we do that quite frequently!

“I like me better naked. I don’t mean that in a vain way… When you put clothes on, you immediately put a character on. Clothes are adjectives, they are indicators. When you don’t have any clothes on, it’s just you – raw – you can’t hide.” ~ Padma Lakshmi ~

The history of Nude Recreation Week is recent with the earliest documented date of August 7, 1976. as being Nude Beach Day. It was first observed in two locations, Truro Beach in southern California and at the Head of the Meadow Beach at Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The Nude Beach Day was continued at the same locations soon became National Nude Weekend in order to expand the time for the clothes free event.

As many naturist/nudist campsites and resorts weren’t located with access to clothing optional beaches, it soon became apparent that another name change and another expansion of the theme was necessary. The “weekend” evolved into a full-fledged “week” as the name changed into Nude Recreation Week.

Happy Nude Recreation Week!

Naked hugs!

Roger Poladopoulos/ReNude Pride

Author’s Note: The next post entry here is planned for Friday, July 8, 2022, and the proposed topic is: “Nude Recreation Week: Vintage Gallery!”