Every year on May 25, Towel Day is celebrated by fans of the famous British writer Douglas Adams. For a whole day, they carry a towel with them everywhere, without parting with it for a minute, thus paying tribute to the memory of their favorite writer.
English writer, playwright and screenwriter Douglas Adams (1952-2001) is the author of such humorous science fiction works as «The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and »Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency. It was in his world-famous novel «The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy» that he described the towel as an indispensable thing for a hitchhiker, be it traveling on earth's roads or intergalactic spaces.
According to the writer, the most ordinary – towel is one of the most important items in tourist use. Much of its value is determined by its practical application, of which there are the greatest variety of options. So, again, according to the author, you can wrap yourself in a towel when it’s cold; you can cover yourself with it like a blanket, spending the night under the stars; it is comfortable to lie on sandy beaches, enjoying the heady aromas of the sea; you can swing it, giving distress signals; wrap your head around it so as not to inhale poisonous gases, or blindfold yourself so as not to go blind at the sight of space pirates or brightest stars. It is also convenient to use as a raft, or it can also be used as a weapon in hand-to-hand combat, having previously wet it... And, of course, the towel can be used for its intended purpose – for hygienic purposes – that is, wiped with it.
It should also be noted that the novel devotes an entire chapter to the unique properties of a towel, and in addition to the important practical significance of this subject, according to the author, the psychological significance of this accessory in general cannot be overestimated, and an interested reader can personally verify this by reading this work.
The holiday itself – Towel Day – arose in Britain in 2001. Literally 3 days after the death of Douglas Adams on May 14, 2001, on the open forum Binary Freedom, fans of the writer’s work posted a message under the title «Towel Day: A Tribute to Douglas Adams» with the following content:
«Douglas Adams will be missed by all his fans around the world. So that all fans can pay tribute to his genius, I propose to celebrate the day two weeks after his death (May 25, 2001) as «Towel Day». All fans of Douglas Adams are encouraged to carry a towel on this day. Let the towel be visible (make sure the towel catches your eye) – use it as a talking point so that even those who have never read «Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy» go and find a copy. The towel can be wrapped around the head, used as a weapon, soaked in nutrients – whatever!».
This was the beginning of today's holiday, which has since been celebrated annually on May 25, covering an increasing number of countries and people who carry a towel with them everywhere that day. They also talk about this holiday and its traditions on social networks, to their friends and acquaintances.
Also in a number of countries, various – free film screenings based on the works of Douglas Adams, sales of his books in bookstores, quest games and competitions for various uses of towels, marches with this indispensable attribute of a traveler and other events are timed to coincide with this day.