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Adam Wore Khakis

No Pants Day takes off
May 3, 2006 7:39:48 PM

This Friday — May 5, 2006 — is the feast day of Saint Geruntius of Milan. It is Tango no Sekku (“Boy’s Day”) in Japan, Liberation Day in Holland and Denmark, and the birthday of Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward. And, of course, it is Cinco de Mayo. But as you’re tapping along to the drum solo on “Rat Salad” or chug-a-lugging Cuervo and Corona, be sure to leave the jeans at home. Because May 5 is also No Pants Day.

The day’s precise origins are shrouded in mystery. But 29-year-old Roy Janick, of Austin, takes responsibility for standardizing its celebration on the first Friday of May (which also happens to be the last day of school at U Texas, where he used to be a student) and for spreading the word about the fete for the past six years.

Still, he tells the Phoenix, “if we stopped promoting it tomorrow, we think it would go on without us.” With thousands celebrating from Austin to Australia, and with Canadian talk shows booking pantsless guests to commemorate it, the special day gets bigger every year. Its purity of purpose is part of the reason. “We’ve never had any political aims, or any deep ulterior motives,” says Janick. “The purpose of No Pants Day is just simply to celebrate the inherent joy of not wearing pants.”

Of course, bottom-down nudity is frowned upon by, well, the law. Given that, a sturdy pair of boxer shorts is the preferred sartorial choice. (Bloomers and the like are also acceptable.) “Once you commit to it, there’s no going back,” Janick says. “It’s not like you could go, ‘Oh, y’know, I was just feeling kinda hot today.’ You’re sort of putting a stake in the ground for the day. On No Pants Day, you can say with conviction, ‘I’ll go about my daily business, but today, at least, my legs will be free.’ ”      

On the Web
No Pants Day: //nopantsday.com/

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