When the 13th of the month falls on a Friday, you may find that some of your friends harbour fears associated with a feeling of superstition or the supernatural, particularly during the month of October!
However, Friday 13th October 2017 is not only an important day for the superstitious among us, but also for anyone looking to celebrate National No Bra Day.
If you didn’t know (as I didn’t until only recently), National No Bra Day serves as a day to raise awareness for breast cancer. Women who suffer from breast cancer are at risk of having to have a mastectomy. In 1998, only 3.6% of breast cancer patients had double mastectomy surgery, but by 2011 this number had climbed to a whopping 33% and is continuing to rise.
In 2017, cancer is sadly not an unpopular topic to be talked about. I know someone myself who has had breast cancer; at this point in time, most people know someone who has at the very least been affected by the illness in some way. It’s a serious disease, one that affects thousands of women annually in the UK alone. I am, however, glad to live in a time when we have days like National No Bra Day to raise awareness for the suffering of so many women.
With this in mind, I want to give people an idea of how they can help raise awareness all year round – not just today. Here are a few ways you can celebrate this day beyond the day itself, and even beyond not wearing a bra!
- This day is supposed to raise awareness, so do some research on breast cancer. Share it on social media, and show your National No Bra Day spirit to all your internet friends.
- Donating your bras to homeless charities is just another way you can celebrate National No Bra Day, as well as donating to Cancer Research and other inspirational charities. It might be National No Bra day – but that doesn’t mean you can’t make a difference about the comfort of women for the other 364 days of the year!
- Go and schedule a check-up at the doctor’s for yourself and encourage others to do the same. There’s no harm in caution, and making sure women know what’s up with their bodies is exactly what this day is for!
- Finally, National No Bra Day may be a day for awareness, but it is also for a celebration of women! Be kind to your fellow woman – remember how great we all are, especially when we stand united in the face of hardship.
So go ahead and don’t wear a bra this day, the next day or any day. Or, indeed, do wear a bra. They are your breasts, and it’s therefore your choice in how you want to celebrate them! Just remember to take a minute and reflect on the fact that some women do not get to have that same luxury. Raise awareness for breast cancer; celebrate National No Bra Day today, but also celebrate it by doing your bit all year round.