Join the Global Wellness Institute’s Hot Springs Initiative in celebrating World Bathing Day on June 22, to honor and emphasize the important role of water across cultures.
Water—and the culture surrounding the practices of cleansing—is worth celebrating. World Bathing Day takes place on June 22 and does just that—it’s an internationally-recognized day created by the Bathe the World Foundation and supported by the Global Wellness Institute’s Hot Springs Initiative that aims to honor the diverse rituals and cultural traditions that go hand-in-hand with the acts of bathing, cleansing and rejuvenation.
Hot springs facilities all over the world can get in on the celebration and recognize the importance of water within the industry and across the globe and bring attention to the plights of communities with restricted access.
What is World Bathing Day?
Bathing has been celebrated across cultures throughout the world for centuries, and has facilitated meaningful connections between the mind, body and soul.
It is also multi-faceted: not only is bathing an enjoyable, peaceful, social, multicultural and multigenerational activity, but it is also sanitary and essential to preventing and controlling human disease. It spans cultures, spiritualities and religious traditions, while also playing a critical role within the realms of health, comfort, confidence and dignity.
According to UNICEF, one third of the world’s population doesn’t have access to clean bathing water, which is a critical health issue. There are severe consequences and implications when people have restricted access to bathing — every day around 1,000 children die from water-related diseases and women and girls spend 200 million hours daily gathering water. To them, water represents time, education and hope.
In addition to honoring the act of bathing and cleansing as a celebration of water and its longstanding rituals and cultural significances, World Bathing Day also draws attention to the people who have limited access to bathing water. With this day of celebration comes the responsibility to raise awareness and affirm our resolve to ensure a time where bathing is possible for all.
Get Involved
To participate in World Bathing Day, check out the event’s Instagram page, @worldbathingday. On June 22, the account will share sunrise posts from hot springs around the world. To be featured, upload your favorite sunrise hot springs post and tag the event with the hashtag #worldbathingday.
Encourage your hot springs guests to post and tag both your facility and the event page as well. In doing so, we will fill social media with scenes of serenity and soaking from around the world. The result will be a cascade of images from sunrise to sunset, spanning different locations, traditions and cultures.
The main goal of World Bathing Day is to show there is one unified global community connected through water that is expressed through different geothermal destinations, bathing practices, clientele, cultures and experiences. This second year of celebration aims to provide a base of experience and education for future years to come.
Sign the Bathe The World petition, which asks the United Nations to officially recognize and declare World Bathing Day on June 22.
Join in the fun for World Bathing Day to share the natural connection and warmth that radiates throughout all of Mother Nature’s hot springs. For more information, head to www.worldbathingday.org.
The Hot Springs Connection supports World Bathing Day.