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No-Shave November: Origins, meaning, rules and memes
Its November, meaning No-Shave November is here, but what is the annual events origin story, and are the rules really as simple as they seem?
Its time to put away those razors, writes ABC6 WATE. The month-long endeavor has officially begun.
Depending on which demographic you fit into, you may or may not have heard of No-Shave Novembers cousin, No Nut November, the meaning and rules of which HITC has dutifully explained here. There is also Movember, which is similar (to No-Shave November, not No Nut November).
But back to the matter at hand. Where does the No-Shave variant of the November challenge come from, what does it have to do with cancer awareness, and how do you play along?
What is No-Shave Novembers origin story? Meaning explored
No-Shave November as it exists today owes its origins to the Hill family of Chicago.�
In 2009, they sought to reinvent the age-old tradition to raise money for charity. It appears to have been a thing for some time before 2009, but they formalized it by founding the charitable organization bearing the traditions name.
The Hill patriarch, and father to eight Hill children, had died of colon cancer in November 2007, so the idea was to raise cash to donate to foundations and charitable organizations in the fight against cancer.
This year, No-Shave November is partnering with 13 nonprofits, including the National LGBT Cancer Network and the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. The meaning behind the association with people letting their hair grow wild and free is to appreciate how fortunate we are to still have that hair, since cancer patients often lose it if they undergo chemotherapy.
What are the rules?
Unlike Movember, which requires (minimal) deductive reasoning to figure out the meaning of, No-Shave November is pretty self-explanatory. It does basically what it says on the tin. Put down your razor, and grow.�
Participate by growing a beard, reads the How Do I Get Involved entry on the No-Shave websites FAQ page, cultivating a mustache, letting those legs go natural, and skipping that waxing appointment.
Participants are encouraged to refrain from any hair trimming, cutting or grooming. That includes using scissors or beard trimmers. Or, for that matter, waxing. They should then donate however much money they would normally have spent on grooming �facial or otherwise to cancer research. It’s not just those who can grow beards who are able to take part.
People also raise money by collecting donations, meaning even participants whose grooming routine doesnt cost them anything have a way of mustering some sort of charitable donation when they take part in No-Shave November.
Some memes to kick off the month
The campaign has begun, and netizens have responded in their usual way.
Every year, as the month of November begins, memes and jokes flood Twitter finding funny in the fun.
Given the increase in popularity of No Nut November (NNN) this year, something along the lines of the following seems to have been inevitable.
Also topical in 2022, with soaring inflation, is Moms reply to the Month informing her its No-Shave November.
This user is inviting his followers to think about what type of hairy beast hell be by day 30.
And Gillette the company, a major manufacturer of shaving supplies, is represented in the following No-Shave November meme, which makes use of a tried-and-tested template.
Find more via HITC here.
Has No-Shave November changed since its formal origins in 2009?
The tradition has undoubtedly grown and changed over time, but at its core it is the same No-Shave November as it was when it originated.
There are now three leaderboards, because nothing in America would be complete without a competitive element.
Members, teams and partnerships can track their progress relative to other participating parties. As of this writing (late evening on November 3, 2022, US time), 517 No-Shave members and 258 teams have raised more than $164,000 for the 13 named charities.
In 2013, No-Shave partnered with the American Cancer Society, since which time its November challenges have raised upwards of $3.5 million for the organization. Thats according to Dictionary.com. It also works with the Prevent Cancer Foundation, Fight Colorectal Cancer, and St. Judes.
