The Hippies of Yesterday and Today

Free spirited. Tree hugger. Flower child. Hippie. Hippies are commonly associated with wearing conspicuous clothing, having long hair, being engaged in nature, and promoting an anti- violent lifestyle.

Although a hippies lifestyle is not for everyone, hippies promote a life filled with peace, love, unity, and respect.

In July of 2022, I attended my first music festival. I was mesmerized by everything that was going on, from the outfits, the music, the lights, the loving people, and the commonly used phrase P.L.U.R., standing for peace, love, unity, and respect. It only took me a few minutes before I knew this would be my lifestyle from there on out. After the festival was over and I went back to my day to day life, I missed the community so much I had to brainstorm ways to practice P.L.U.R. outside of that setting. Practicing P.L.U.R. can be as simple as being a smiling face to the strangers you come across, or being accepting of others and yourself. After a while, the people around me started to notice the difference in my actions and my appearance, and I was given the title "hippie." But how exactly did hippies come to be and what do they do?

Hippie was derived from the word hipster, which was a name for the jazz subculture folk of the 1940s. Eventually hippie was given its own meaning in the 1960s to describe the group of people who were speaking out against the Vietnam War through peaceful protests. “One of the most prevalent actions that most folks will think of are the anti war marches. These ‘hippies’ played such a huge part in the expansion of the US government’s extensive military intervention in Vietnam” ("The Etymology of Hippie”). As a part of the protests, women would walk around placing flowers into the barrels of soldiers' guns, as well as embrace the movement by wearing clothing with embroidered flowers, bright colors, and wearing flowers in their hair.

The peace and love this group of people shared impacted the world.

Hippies from the 60s and 70s, referred to here as the OG hippies, were different from the

normal ‘squares’ of the times, and made their statement to the world by expressing themselves through their appearance, their actions, and their music (“The Etymology of Hippie”). The OGs were known for their noticeably unique style of clothing, they expressed themselves through bright colors, bold patterns, bell bottoms, and up-cycled or handmade clothes. Men and women hippies alike would commonly have long hair, women would decorate their hair with flowers, beads, or braids, and men would grow out their beards.

People referred to hippies as being free spirited freeloaders, and many of them would spend their time in nature, doing yoga, or meditating to free their minds. Hippies also attended music festivals, one of the most well known being Woodstock. Bob Marley, Grateful Dead, The Beatles, and The Rolling Stones were a few of the artists hippies typically listened to.

Although hippies were noticed for their physical appearance and their love to express themselves, “Being a hippie is about having a certain self-awareness and state of mind. It's about loving yourself and those around you. You can't claim to be a hippie yet be filled with self-hatred or hatred/bitterness towards others.” The OG hippie generation expressed unity and respect by being generally accepting of others and respecting the earth.

Modern day hippies continue to keep the same concepts as the OG hippies by spreading good vibes and living a life of peace, love, unity, and respect. Although many appearances of today's hippies are similar to that of the OG’s, there are a few differences. Some hippies do not have long hair, and a few do not dress as colorful, vibrant, and fun, however many still do.

Hippies continue to connect with nature and practice meditation. Hippies love to move their bodies. Whether it be dancing, running, or spending time doing yoga, they love to move to the rhythm of the universe. “Followers of hippie culture believe that it’s the best way to

align your chakras and become one with nature. You lose yourself while dancing puts you in a state of euphoria and simply being in love with your body” (Sajjad). Music festivals continue to be a common place to meet and interact with groups of hippies.

Today, there are several small businesses that specialize in embracing the hippie culture by selling upcycled and handmade clothing, art, colorful jewelry, and other earth-friendly items. There also tend to be many misconceptions about modern day hippies, such as avoiding wearing makeup, having dreadlocks, not shaving body hair, and being vegan or vegetarian.

Being a hippie is more about expressing love, not only for oneself, but to others as well. It is a mentality and a way of life.

Today, hippies may be portrayed differently but modern day hippies and OG hippies continue to live out and spread peace, love, unity, and respect, or P.L.U.R. Hippies advocate nonviolence and love. A popular phrase amongst hippies is “make love, not war,” and they are sometimes referred to as “flower children.”

The kindness and P.L.U.R. that hippies bring to the world is what sets them apart from most of normal society. True hippies embrace who they are while also being accepting of the differences in everybody around them.

The beautiful hippie culture has made an impact on the world, and still continues to do so. The hippie lifestyle is not for everyone, but those who choose it embrace peace, love, unity, and respect.

Hanah Gilliard is a goofy, free spirited, and artistic young, adult woman who spends her time wrapped up in anything artsy or craft related. Gilliard enjoys expressing herself through body art, such as piercings and tattoos, her colorful clothing attire, and even her art.