Before any hippy (also spelled hippie) gets offended, I will clarify that every single one of these things applied to me when I was in a certain phase of life I would call my “hippy days.”
I’m allowed to make fun of hippies like Jeff Foxworthy is allowed to make fun of rednecks.
You might be a hippy if...
1. You’ve had multiple conversations about what defines a “hippy.”
2. You own Tibetan prayer flags.
Tibetan prayer flags. (Shutterstock)
3. You either currently have dreadlocks, have had dreadlocks, or have seriously considered getting dreadlocks.
4. You have more than 10 friends with dreadlocks.
Man with dreadlocks. (Shutterstock)
5. You’ve considered living on an organic farm.
6. You know at least five people who have gone to the Burning Man festival.
7. You have either gone to a Rainbow Gathering, seriously considered going to a Rainbow Gathering, or know a few people who have gone to Rainbow Gatherings. Probably if you even know what a Rainbow Gathering is, you’re in the realm of hippy.
Wikipedia describes Rainbow Gatherings as, “temporary intentional communities, held primarily in ... outdoor settings, and supporting and practicing the ideals of peace, love, respect, harmony, freedom and community, as a consciously expressed alternative to mainstream popular culture, consumerism, capitalism and mass media.”
A man at a Rainbow Gathering in Russia, August 2005. (Wikimedia Commons)
8. Before Dec. 21, 2012, you had at least 20 conversations about prophecies surrounding that date, and at least one conversation about it afterward.
9. You’ve worn patchouli.
10. Your place smells like Nag Champa.
Incense burning. (Shutterstock)
11. You’ve worn socks with Birkenstock sandals.
OK, I’m going to take a moment here to explain why this happens. Yes, socks and sandals is a hippy stereotype—with good reason though. I have worn socks and sandals because: 1. Birkenstock sandals are very comfy, and they are really easy to slip on your feet. I would say hippydom includes lots of time out in nature. This footwear is excellent for lounging around a campsite or for nights on the beach; 2. Mosquitos and cold air make you want to wear socks with sandals.
12. You’ve had at least 20 conversations about living off the grid.
13. You’ve had more than 10 people call you a hippy.
14. You’ve read aloud with friends on multiple occasions.
15. You’ve strummed a banjo or ukulele.
16. You’re not Australian, but you’ve been at multiple gatherings where someone was playing a didgeridoo.
Woman playing a didgeridoo. (Shutterstock)
17. You’ve played a djembe, especially as part of a drum circle.
18. You’ve read at least one of the following:
“Doors of Perception” by Aldous Huxley
Anything by Carlos Castaneda
“Siddhartha” by Herman Hesse
“Stranger in a Strange Land” by Robert A. Heinlein
“The Celestine Prophecy” by James Redfield
“The Prophet” by Kahlil Gibran
19. You own Thai fisherman pants.
20. You’ve gone at least a week without showering on multiple occasions (Bathing in natural bodies of water not included). This isn’t meant to perpetuate the idea of the dirty hippy, it’s just that modern plumbing isn’t always a part of the alternative hippy lifestyle. Bathing in mountain streams can be a beautiful way to live.
21. You’ve tried all-natural shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste, and other toiletries.
22. You’ve tried a raw-food diet.
23. You know Westerners who play the sitar.
24. It’s common in your group of friends to go on meditation retreats.
25. You’ve tried fire poi.
A woman performing with fire poi. (Wikimedia Commons)
26. Your wardrobe is 80 percent secondhand, 10 percent handmade, and you feel guilty about the other 10 percent that was store-bought and probably made overseas.
27. You own multiple plaid shirts.
28. You’ve slept outdoors under the open sky multiple times.
Night sky. (Shutterstock)
29. You’ve owned a book on edible plants.
30. You’ve had beaded curtains in your home.
Beaded curtains. (Shutterstock)
31. You know at least a couple of dumpster divers.
32. You’ve lived or stayed in a commune.
33. You wear hemp jewelry.
Hemp necklaces. (Wikimedia Commons)
ALSO SEE:
Diary of a Canadian Treeplanter: Best, Worst Job Ever
*Image of woman with dreadlocks via Shutterstock
