No Bra Day

No Bra Day is an annual event on October 13 during which women are encouraged to forgo wearing a bra as a means to encourage breast cancer awareness. Users on social media are encouraged to post using the hashtag #nobraday to promote awareness of breast cancer symptoms and to encourage gender equality. Some users on social media sites also encourage women to post pictures of themselves not wearing a bra. Some women embrace No Bra Day as a political statement while others prefer the comfort of discarding what they view as a restrictive, uncomfortable garment.

The event was spun off from a medical event in Toronto, Canada, that encouraged breast cancer survivors to consider reconstructive surgery. First held on October 19, 2011, the medical event was named BRA (Breast Reconstruction Awareness) Day. It was later adapted by an anonymous user self-named "Anastasia Doughnuts" who conceived of No Bra Day as a way to encourage women to enjoy being braless and to become knowledgeable about breast cancer symptoms.

Trivia

 * No Bra Day was initially held on July 9, 2011, but within three years it had moved to October 13, the month of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
 * The day is controversial as some see it as sexualizing and exploiting women's bodies while at the same time belittling a serious disease.
 * On a related note, topfreedom is a movement that encourages women to go topless as some see it as a way to encourage gender equality due to the fact that only men are able to do so in most places.