In the 60s. of the last century, a “stunning” cultural movement appeared, which carried away millions of people sympathizing with the suffering planet - the youth hippie movement. This subculture could not pass without a trace, and, of course, forever remained in the memory of mankind. Later in the article you will learn the history of the hippie movement and other nuances that accompany these events.
The appearance of hippies
The first wave of hippy movement in the United States appeared between 1964 and 1972, when America waged a war in Vietnam. This was the first war in the history of the country, which the Americans themselves abhorred. This alignment of affairs led to the spread of pacifist sentiment, which served as the beginning of the hippie movement. The subculture included young people who were distinguished by strong personal beliefs in the injustice of public rules. The wealth and satiety, the spirituality of the philistine life, philistine boredom - all this became the reason that among the rebellious youth the hippie movement arose.
The first use of the word “hippie” is dated April 22, 1964. This was the text of a program on one of the New York television channels. This word was given to a group of young people with long hair in T-shirts and jeans who protested against the Vietnam War. At that time, the slang expression was considered popular among young people, which implied the Russian "to be in the subject, to cut a chip" - to be hip.
Television men used the word hippie in a derogatory manner, alluding to the pretensions of scruffy-dressed demonstrators from the suburbs of the city to be hips.
We can say that since the mid 60-ies the time has come for the emergence of the hippie movement.
Hippies - Flower Children
The main slogan of the subculture was pacifism. The values of the hippie movement included the following: peacefulness and non-violence, protest against military operations, refusal of military service. Initially, pacifism was aimed at combating the war in Vietnam, only later moved to all spheres of human life.
A hippie is characterized by a protest against the “rules” imposed by “people in ties”, against the orderliness and gray boredom of everyday life, and a departure from the formal institutions of society. It resembles a kind of peaceful anarchy.
Supporters of the hippie movement refused to be part of the existing system and created their own alternative system that would not be based on a social hierarchy.
Representatives of this subculture are characterized by apoliticality. The general desire of supporters is aimed at changing the world through creativity, and not military coups. In their opinion, a revolution should take place, first of all, in consciousness, and not in society.
Instead of material values, the hippie movement promoted spiritual ones, instead of building a career, self-improvement and creativity.
The main "postulates"
The hippie movement welcomed naturalness throughout. The call to return to the origins of mankind seemed to tell people that civilization was at an impasse, and the only salvation for people would be to remember their roots, to merge with nature together.
The symbol of the hippie movement - the flower - expresses protest against hostilities and various inequalities, in addition, it embodied youth and naturalness.
The subculture has come to the fore the beauty of the world, joy, an abundance of sensuality. However, there were some negative consequences: excessive promiscuity of views led the young generation to drunkenness, drug addiction and promiscuous sexual relations. "Sexual revolution", as some believe, is the brainchild of this subculture.
"Children of the flowers" deny the time frame. A calendar, a clock are elements of civilization that are alien to them, imposing their order on a real "living" world.
As Hunter Thompson, a well-known journalist of that era wrote at the time, there was a feeling that everyone around was striving for good, that the internal energy of good-natured guys from the hippie movement was able to stop the atrocities that surrounded them everywhere.
Hippy Features
Girls and boys from this movement called their long hair “hayer” and were fond of rock and roll, meditation, hitchhiking, oriental mysticism, lived mainly in communes and loved to weave flowers in their curls - a symbol of peace. It is this lifestyle that characterizes the "children of flowers."
Representatives of the subculture refuse any things, conditions that the world of "lack of freedom" offers them, namely: self-employment, social dogma and morality, rules and structure. After all, freedom and independence is the main criterion for a quality life for real hippies. The hippie movement in the USSR was smaller and struggled to break through the ossified views of the Soviet people. Hippies were considered street children and worthless representatives of society.
As mentioned earlier, “flower children” live in communes that allow like-minded people to get together and share ideas, and also provide a wide field for creative activity. Many communes were distinguished by strict codes prohibiting smoking, drinking and using drugs. In such "monasteries" the ideas of brotherhood and universal love were promoted.
The main rules of interaction with others were expressed in the following: “do your own thing”, “do not fuss”, “don’t interfere with others’s life”, “share with others”.
In such a team, each person is full-fledged and has the right to self-improvement, his own opinion and interests. For any hippie, it is a law to honor the interests of another, as their own, to consider their property as the property of a whole team, to share everything that he has.
Lifestyle
As hippies believe, the spiritual unity of people is created as a result of a common truth that opens to each member of the collective, which sooner or later is reached on the path of anyone who seeks it.
The life of the "flower children" is quite unpretentious: they consider the temporary absence of shelter and food as a normal nuisance, which is not worth attention. Such people live a "happy chance."
There is another rather interesting concept in the hippie environment, as "just existence."
This expression refers to the time when a person does not do anything, that is, contemplates the world, enjoys the sunshine, covering his eyes, and is simply in nonchalant solitude.
Party
Meetings of hippies are called happenings. Such events take place in some kind of evil place where hippies can gather in large numbers to jointly listen to music, dance or talk. A distinctive feature of parties or the so-called sessions is the simultaneous actions of various people, creating an atmosphere of laid-back chaos.
This confusion is clearly visible during dancing - in crowds, supporters of the movement enter and leave the premises, dance in colorful or simple costumes with or without musical accompaniment, in pairs or alone, often not to the beat of the music, to loud conversations, everything is in its own way. Half of the people don’t dance at all, but simply sits on the floor near the stage. With a screech, children rush past them. This kind of meeting is called hepening.
Hippie look
This part of life is also important in the life of any hippie. Various jewelry, long hair, worn jeans - all these are identification marks of this subculture. Hippies would rather spend on another bauble than on food.
While searching for ideals, representatives of the movement turned to the East. This culture significantly influenced the appearance of hippies. Since then, their clothes have been replete with ethnic motifs: multi-colored caftans, Afghan bathrobes, beads with threads in several rows, homemade little things made from scraps of fabric.
Blue jeans, which did not enjoy the special love of society, they were decorated with fringe, pictures, leather and beads. Hippari preferred to walk with bare feet and headbands for long loose hair. According to legend, the bandages served them as a kind of amulet from the “roofing house”.
Hippie fashion has borrowed many aspects of the “gypsy style”: colorful skirts, dresses with exquisitely embroidered corsages, jewelry in the form of coins. Natural flowers and natural materials were also considered quite popular.
"Xivnik" - a small chest bag for documents - is still found among the accessories of a youth wardrobe, although its purpose has long since changed.
Wickers made of macrame threads in the form of "baubles" were considered quite popular. They had their own symbolism: a wish for a good hitchhiking could be conveyed with a bracelet in black and yellow stripes, a declaration of love was expressed in giving a red and yellow accessory.
Drugs
An important part of hippie life is the use of narcotic substances, through the use of which they confirm their renunciation of the life principles of the inhabitants, and also achieve an “expansion of consciousness”.
Many supporters of the movement believe that drugs help to find spiritual liberation, open a huge field for creative activity. But this is just one of the points of view. Other hippies may tolerate drug use, but do not consider this something sublime. In certain communes of a "monastic" nature, the use and distribution of drugs was prohibited.
Music
Like any subculture, hippies are distinguished by their characteristic music. The revolutionary discovery - rock and roll shocked not only the "average people", but also the adherents of the subculture in question.
In 1967, hippies (unofficial) anthems were released: San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair), performed by Scott Mackenzie, and the famous The Beatles song called All You Need Is Love.
Hippari also became the trigger for the invention of psychedelic rock. Among the initiators of the psychedelic culture of that time, Doors, Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead, etc.
Such music is like drugs - it helps to expand consciousness. Psychedelic sound is achieved through the use of live instruments and the constantly changing intonation of a solo voice. It is said that this effect is achieved through the use of a spectrum of forbidden frequencies that supposedly affect the human brain.
It's time for wonderful days ...
Hippies, like most subcultures, have their pros and cons.
You should not idealize this movement or, conversely, reduce everything to psychedelia and drug addiction. One can only hope that the modern generation of hippies will inherit from their ancestors peace, love of life, positiveness and brightness.