Editor’s note: This article from the Planet Nude archives was first published on February 2nd, 2023. We’re sharing it again today in celebration of the made up holiday that comes along each year in February during the southern hemisphere’s summer, and right in the middle of a long winter for those of us in the north. Of course, for naturists who work from home, every Friday is Work Naked Day. In any case, we hope you enjoy.
Naturists the world over have embraced Working Naked Day, a fictional holiday that was invented by author Lisa Kanarek in 2010 to promote her book and brand Working Naked. The “holiday”, which falls on the first Friday in February every year (that’s this Friday if you’re paying attention), was originally meant to promote the idea of working from home and creating simplicity in your home workspace, and wasn’t really about nudism—or even nudity—at all. In fact, the publishers cleverly played off of a few existing nudist holidays, such as World Naked Gardening Day—which was founded by Mark Storey and Jacob Gabriel of Body Freedom Collaborative in 2005—and smartly used viral internet marketing (still somewhat new territory for advertisers in 2010) to spread news of the holiday and attract cheeky media stories. In the context of the book’s clear marketing strategy and the tendency of advertisers to tack “Naked” onto the names of any widget they can as a means to move more units, it seems clear that the book’s intentions were never really to normalize nudity at all.
Of course, none of that matters to naturists, who are generally looking for any opportunity to celebrate (and talk about) nudism. This is further evidenced by the existence of several other such “nudist holidays” we excitedly participate in and promote throughout the year, including World Naked Gardening Day (May), Skinny Dip Day (July), National Nude Day (July), International Read Naked Day (July), and more. One starts to wonder what differentiates “Working Naked Day” from a few of the others—if you’re a professional gardener, you get two work naked days!
You might note some cynicism in my tone, but before you point out that I’m always a stick in the mud when it comes to harmless fun stuff that nudists like, let me just say I have no qualms with nudist holidays of this nature. I think they’re a great excuse for everyone to embrace nudity, and as good a way as any to continue destigmatizing normal every day tasks done nude.
Furthermore, some of the aforementioned nudist holidays absolutely do have a naturist message, a history, and a purpose. I am a big supporter of the fundraising efforts behind Skinny Dip Day, for instance. As for Working Naked Day, sure. Go for it. Like most nudists privileged to have a job that supports remote work, you bet I intend to celebrate.
Alright look, there is just one stick-in-the-mud sort of point I would like to make about the whole thing, and that is that while destigmatization is a totally noble goal for nudists and naturists, I think we must also find and express the meaning behind naturism and nudism, which for many is about far more than merely being nude more often. These holidays are a great foot-in-the-door for that conversation. However, I find the specific meaning of Working Naked Day to be confusing at best. Not only has the author’s original notion of Working Naked been somewhat lost in a post-COVID world where remote work is far more common than it was back in 2010, but it doesn’t really relate to naturism in any way other than the word “naked.” Since this day was made up by a book publisher anyway, I think we should usurp the holiday, discard its original message of “decluttering” and adopt a message reflecting a truer notion of working naked: working with honesty and authenticity. Working for the betterment of everyone in your orbit. Working as you are, without pretense. Since nudists have already co-opted this holiday to represent something it never meant anyway, all I’m suggesting is that we go the rest of the way and start claiming this day as our day. Sorry Lisa, time to write a new book!
Maybe that’s a little much. I’m sure Lisa is a wonderful, well meaning person, and a fine writer, and I mean her no disrespect. But at least for the nudists or nude-inclined who make up the readership of this newsletter, let us agree to use Working Naked Day this year as an ice breaker to share with someone else why working naked is about more more than just keeping your Zoom screen framed from the neck up, and let’s see if we can instigate just one discussion that goes beyond snickering jokes by the water cooler. Let’s use this day to proudly go nude—physically or metaphorically—at work and at home, with our colleagues and friends. And then let’s do it again tomorrow. 🪐
Maybe the central cultural problem is that "Work Naked Day" was seen as marketable in a way that "Relax Naked Day" never would be.
I've always been suspicious of the whole idea of decluttering, it seems like it's just another way to turn one more aspect of life into a competition. Personally, I like my clutter. I like the bric-a-brac and tchotchkes that I've acquired over the years. It's nice to be able to look around a room and see your best memories, and memories of those who are gone, surrounding you. You can probably perceive me more nakedly just by looking at my shelves than by looking at me, no matter what I am or am not wearing.
Decluttering always seemed as if convincing you that the purpose of life was efficiency, that even your personal space should be redirected towards an identity entirely composed of work. When the Third Place idea took off in the 90s, the idea that we needed a place that was separate from work and home, that distinction drove all those small coffee shops springing up everywhere. But laptops and phones kept creeping in, and soon all those little coffee shops were Starbucks and that third place was just another place to work.
The decluttering idea is extending that idea even into the home. That your home should be reoriented to something which was once kept outside the home. We're somehow coming to a point where there's no second or third places, just one place, and that place is work. Even if you're working naked, you're still working. Your home has become yet another place to compete.
In a world where you can't even bake a cake without it being a competition, I think the most countercultural message naturism presents is that naturism is something you can't win at. And if we are, as apparently the "vibe shift" is saying, entering a cultural moment where the only thing that matters is dividing the world between winners and losers, that may be a very important message to spread.
I was half-way thinking about suggesting a "working naked day" for our outfit to our commander, but then again, I suppose an active duty Lt Col probably wouldn't approve :-(
T'would be a fun event though.........until the press got wind of it...........grin.
I'm just kidding. I've been retired now for several years.
But the thought brought a bit of humor into my day. Thanks.
Dave J.