No Pants Day
Encyclopedia
Trousers
Trousers are an item of clothing worn on the lower part of the body from the waist to the ankles, covering both legs separately...
. Participants are challenged to act as if there is nothing strange about not wearing pants in public. The liberation of breaking a social taboo and seeing the reaction of people not aware of the event generally makes the event fun for its participants.
History
There are unconfirmed reports that No Pants Day was first celebrated as early as 1985 or 1986.Texas
The Knighthood of BUH at the University of Texas at AustinUniversity of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
are advocates of the holiday. Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
has celebrated the day since 1997 according to a 1999 flyer. The holiday gets media attention every year, and as a result events celebrating No Pants Day have popped up in cities across the globe. Promoters state that the holiday is about not taking oneself seriously. The holiday is an example of surreal humor, which relies on an absurd situation (in this case, crowds of people walking around wearing no trousers).
Illinois
Saint Charles, Illinois, celebrated its first Pants Day in August 2007, it has been held every year since in mid August , and has become a local phenomenon. Participants are known to use the word "Pants" often throughout the day, as well as wearing no pants.Paderborn, Germany
Celebrating the annual No Pants Day is a common tradition in Paderborn. Many students don't wear pants on campus and walk through the city without pants.Variations
In Australia, the radio station's 'today network' weekday afternoon program "The Hamish and Andy Show" (this year, the format has changed, whereby the "The Hamish and Andy Show" is only broadcast on Fridays), has a variation of this theme known as 'Pants Off Friday'. Every Friday, without fail, pants are not worn. The two radio programs hosts, Hamish & AndyHamish & Andy
Hamish & Andy are an Australian comedy duo formed in 2003 by Hamish Blake and Andy Lee. They currently host the radio program The Hamish & Andy Show which airs in Australia on the Today Network....
, participate, while inviting their listeners to also participate in this Pants Off Friday. For photographic evidence, check their website
The No Pants Subway Ride, an annual event organized by New York City prank collective Improv Everywhere
Improv Everywhere
Improv Everywhere is a comedic performance art group based in New York City, formed in 2001 by Charlie Todd. Its slogan is "We Cause Scenes."The group carries out pranks, which they call "missions", in public places...
is often erroneously referred to as "No Pants Day." In this event, members of the group enter a subway car at consecutive stops without pants in the middle of winter. Participants pretend that they do not know each other and if asked, claim that they simply "forgot" their pants. The first No Pants Subway Ride took place in 2002 with seven riders and has grown since then. The event has grown considerably over the years. In 2011 over 3,500 people participated in New York and thousands more participated in 50 other cities around the world. The fact that the No Pants Subway Ride has become a global event with multiple cities participating on the same day has led to its confusion with No Pants Day. The No Pants Subway Ride is celebrated in early January, with Improv Everywhere usually announcing the exact date a month ahead of time.