It is held on the first Saturday of September and is characterized by the happiness of all people being with their beards and with each other.
On World Beard Day, it is customary for the bearded members of a family to relax and partake in no jobs or chores.
The beardless members of the family traditionally show their support by waiting on the bearded hand and foot.
World Beard Day is all about promoting and elevating the global status of the beard. Whilst many countries and cities practice World Beard Day customs specific to their own region, shaving on World Beard Day is universally considered to be highly disrespectful.
I’ve got some of the best beard products and recommendations you can share with the bearded Geek you love!
Beard Day Gifts
Oil- IX LIONS
Philadelphia based IX Lions was started by a veteran, is animal cruelty-free and after a month is my go-to brand. Been using Hannibal & Sweat of Salidin and I’ve found @ixlions natural, hydrating to the skin and helps soften and tame beard hair, Hannibal has manly subtle hints of sandalwood. Sweat of Saladin is an exotic blend of frankincense, oud and is as rich and moisturizing as the excellent Hannibal. IX Lions offers the finest 100% organic & chemical free ingredients for facial hair of all types. They use essential and carrier oils, and created a beard oil for customers from all walks of life that prevents dry, itchy skin under the beard, leaving your mane soft, handsome, moisturized, and feeling healthy! “Let us help you “MANE-tain” your beard.”
I’ve found it was very effective in eliminating my infamous beard itch, too. Beard oils aim to soften beards, keep the hair (and skin beneath) healthy and reduce irritation. They come in a variety of aromas.
The amount of oil you use depends on the length of your beard — if it’s not too recently grown out from stubble, only use a couple of drops, while much longer beards warrant around five or six. Use daily, ideally, after showering so your pores are open (but make sure your beard is fully dry before applying). It’s a good idea to test a drop on your skin before use, just in case there are any allergic or irritable reactions. Get your oil, shears and all your beard supplies below:
Beard Butter- Maestro
If you’re in a rush, Maestro Beard butter is my go-to pick. If you pick good beard butter or beard balm, it doubles up as a conditioner and a styling agent. Something that beard oil cannot do if you have a beard that is longer than an inch. If you’re looking for a good combo stying /conditioner the consistency of the butter is also solid. It mixes into the beard similarly to an oil, with a light/medium hold. Some prefer a stronger hold, but it gets to a point where you don’t want to look greasy and feel like your beard is filled with glue. If you have used beard balm then you might have experienced the build-up that can occur. These products don’t have this problem, and Maestro even suggests using this as a daily conditioner. Simply put this in your hands to melt or even use a beard brush to comb through your hair.
Comb – Conair Large Course / Fine tooth
This is highly subjective but as a black man with super tight curly hair, I find this Large Size Coarse and Fine Toothed Hand-finished Comb is a true gentleman’s dressing comb, permitting hair of all types to be detangled and smoothed. Smooth and free of ridges that catch and pull at hairs, this comb does not damage the cuticle of the hair, encouraging natural oil distribution throughout. A nice comb is a thoughtful gift.
Brush – Vermont Country Store Bass Boar Brushes
Again, depending upon your type of hair & personal preferences. Brushing & Combing is essential for a healthy beard. You’ll shed a lot and that’s normal. Soft or stiff bristles or detangling it’s up to you. I personally have some thinning upstairs. Vermont County Store does a good job. Been using the Boar bristle brush for a bit. If you have thining, fragile, or damaged hair, gentle 100% boar-bristle brushes are good for your hair and scalp—an ordinary hairbrush with synthetic bristles can pull and damage hair. Regular use encourages lustrous shine and healthier looking locks. Women’s boar-bristle brush is 8¼” long; Men’s hairbrush is 6¾” long. Natural bristles may shed for the first few uses. Solid wood handles.
- 100% boar bristles
- Solid wood handle
- Styles for both men and women
- Imported
Scissors –
Any sharp pair of barber quality shears will do. My dopp kit contains the shears that came with my clippers. Keep them sharp, dry & oiled.
Vodka – Tito’s Handmade Vodka
I’m a Stoili Guy. But I heard good things about Tito’s Vodka. While most vodkas are made with a wheat or rye, Tito’s Handmade Vodka is made of 100% corn mash! Per the new guidelines, only spirits made from ingredients that DO NOT contain wheat are able to label products as being gluten-free. Bouns, made in the USA, Austin, TX, & smooth as Mother’s milk.
I had first read about Titos because they run a K-9 charity. I picked up a bottle, made myself TIto’s Favorite check the YouTube.
Sweet smell with a quality bite, unbelievably smooth both on the pallet and going down. No harshness, probably due to its micro-distilltion process; BEST thing about Titos- NO HANGOVER!! I had more than a few, felt great night the next morning. I’m now a Tito’s guy.
Meat –
Buy good meat. Whatever his favorite cut is. (Porterhouse fan.) Don’t salt it. Don’t cook it too long. Whip up a nice steak butter, sauce or wait till it’s rested.
Perfect sear marks on your grilled meat and vegetables are not only awesome but serve an inner purpose. They seal in juices and help release them from your grill.
And have we mentioned that they are not that hard to do? You can do it in four easy steps. Remember, practice makes perfect.
STEPS FOR PERFECT SEAR MARKS
WHAT TO DO ON WORLD BEARD DAY
If you are hosting a World Beard Day event, here’s a helpful list of things you can do to make this the greatest World Beard Day ever…
Break bread with your bearded brethren.
What World Beard Day would be complete without a mouthwatering array of beard friendly foods? Popular options include…
– Barbecues/meat on a spit
– Hot dogs
– Vindaloo
– Vodka
– Fondue
Have a fire
If local laws permit, build a fire (or if you prefer to have some beardless people build you a fire),
then sit around the fire and enjoy having a beard and living in a golden age of beardedness.
Change a Tire.
Grab a bearded mate or two, flatten a car’s tire, then enjoy the satisfaction of changing it using your extensive life skills.
World Beard Day Games and Events
World Beard Day events often feature various games and events.
Feel free to create your own event, or choose from any of the following customary World Beard Day games…
– All-bearded human pyramid (current record 22)
– Cleanchin darts (Just stick a picture of your least favorite beardless individual onto the dart board and throw darts at his face).
– Vodka
– World Beard Day Pinata (fill a paper mache beardless guy with treats, hang him from a tree, give the guy with the biggest beard a club and tell him to get clubbin’!)
– Effigy Burning. Make a simple effigy of a beardless guy and celebrate beards by burning him to the ground.
– Pin-the-beard-on-the-guy (by far the easiest, least-challenging World Beard Day game – no blindfold required.)
– Dungeons and Dragons
Have a Sing
Break out the vodka, band together and sing along to your favorite beard-related songs.
WBD League Sports
Play your favorite sports the way sports were meant to be played: Bearded vs. Non-Bearded, with the beardless team heavily handicapped (feel free to create your own handicaps for the beardless team or “losing team”). Popular choices include…
– The losing team has fewer players.
– The losing team is made up entirely of children.
– The referees/umpires are all members of the bearded team (winning team).
– The losing team or selected members of the losing team are blindfolded, bound and gagged.
WORLD BEARD DAY FACTS
– In southern Spain, many townships gather to witness a boxing match between a bearded man and a beardless boy. The bearded man, normally armed with a sharp pike, is typically the victor.
– In the Swedish village of Dönskborg, anyone without a beard is banished from the town and forced to spend twenty-four hours in a nearby forest. Back in the town, the hirsute burn effigies of their clean-chinned loved ones.
– The exact origins of World Beard Day are unknown, but there is some evidence to suggest that Danish Vikings had a special day dedicated to the glorification of beards as far back as 800 AD.
The event was not held on a fixed date and was often celebrated hundreds of times each year.
This early incarnation of what would one day become World Beard Day typically involved the ransacking of neighboring towns, villages and countries by large groups of heavily-armed bearded men.
– Throughout the world, bearded communities are encouraged to acknowledge this sacred day by organizing and staging their own public or private World Beard Day celebrations. These can consist of anything from a relaxing family lunch to a lavish, taxpayer-funded street parade.
So, have fun! Beard long and prosper!
◊♦◊
Photo Credit – Author/Manufacturers