The hippie subculture in the sixties of the last century became a global phenomenon that changed the Western world. She has had a real impact on politics and social norms, music, fashion and sexual relations. And this influence can be traced to this day.
The history of the emergence and heyday of the hippie movement
The hippie subculture arose out of the earlier beatnik movement. It also owes its appearance to one of the key conflicts of the second half of the 20th century - the Vietnam War (1964-1975). In the United States, many young people protested against this military conflict, American television people called them hippies, and this word became common. At the same time, it should be emphasized that this subculture is not limited only to pacifist ideas, it is much broader.
Beginning in 1965, the hippie movement began to grow rapidly - more and more young people around the planet began to join it. Hippie lifestyles were characteristic of hitchhiking or in cheap, brightly colored minibuses (usually the Volkswagen T1 brand). They often left home and lived in communes, among “their own”. They were also distinguished by their passion for oriental religions and practices, adherence to vegetarianism.
Hippies often brought flowers to antiwar protests. They gave them to passers-by or inserted them into the muzzles of the guns of the police and military standing in front of them. Hence the second name for hippies - "flower children".
The peak of the popularity of this subculture came in 1967. It was this summer that Haight Ashbury (this is one of the districts of the city of San Francisco) gathered about one hundred thousand "flower children" to "celebrate love and freedom." They lived here according to their own rules, sharing food and everything necessary with each other for several months, until October.
And two years later, in the state of New York, the legendary Woodstock rock festival took place, which attracted about five hundred thousand people, and they were mostly hippies.
Another large and very important meeting of the "flower children" took place on July 4, 1972. On this day, several thousand hippies climbed Table Mountain in Colorado (USA), joined hands and stood there for about an hour, praying for world peace. Subsequently, it became an annual event, and it was carried out not only in the States, but also in other countries.
Principles, slogans and symbols
The main principle of the hippie subculture is the principle of non-violence. Another important principle is free love. Many hippies preferred not to suppress their sexuality - they were very simple about sexual contacts and had a promiscuous sex life. No wonder one of the main slogans of the “flower children” is “Make love, not war” (“Make love, not war”). In many ways, it was the hippies who contributed to the so-called sexual revolution.
In addition to slogans, flower children had their own symbols. The most famous of them is “pacific”, which looks like a print of a bird's foot in a circle. Interestingly, he appeared in the late fifties. It was designed in February 1958 by British designer Gerald Holtom for the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.
Appearance
Representatives of the hippie subculture, as a rule, wore long hair. And flowers were often woven into them.
Natural fabrics (denim, cotton, linen, chintz, silk) of rainbow shades prevailed in clothing. At the same time, the clothes certainly had to be free, not restricting movement. Also, the hippie style was characterized by the use of ethnic ornaments, embroidery and patches, which made things look worn.
And the representatives of this subculture loved to adorn themselves with many beads, bracelets and baubles (they were often exchanged among themselves as a sign of friendship). In addition, many hippie girls wore a thin bandage rope on their foreheads. As a rule, things and accessories "children of flowers" did with their own hands, any hand-made was very much appreciated.
The decline of the hippie movement
In the late seventies, the popularity of the hippie subculture declined sharply. This is associated with the end of the Vietnam War, as well as the fact that many of the attributes of this culture began to be commercialized. Another important reason is the split within the movement itself. It has become very heterogeneous. Finally, many say that the "flower children" just grew up and settled down.
Of course, hippies haven't disappeared altogether. Nowadays, hippie communes can be found in Ibiza, Bali, Goa, Morocco, Denmark, the USA, etc. However, the same interest in this subculture, as in the sixties and seventies, is no longer there.
