Goodbye Pinktober, Hello Movember!
October is Breast Cancer Awareness month when we wear pink and have informative events and physical sporting sessions to highlight the importance of women’s health and to explain what breast cancer is and how to prevent it. Until next year, we can still continue raising awareness and keeping ourselves fit and active all year long.
Source: Think Pink breast cancer Awareness Event by Evolve
Qatar has done a great job this month having yoga sessions, spa days, afternoon tea parties and going all pink to show their full support to breast cancer patients, survivors and for those who wanted to learn how to prevent themselves from developing breast cancer. Hotels were great supporters for hosting those events.
Now, we come to the month of November. November is a month to highlight the importance of men’s health, including prostate cancer and testicular cancer. It is also a month of raising awareness for mental health issues everyone may be going through and World Diabetes Day on November 14th.
Movember Foundation is a non-government organisation that was founded in 2003 by a group of men, Luke Slattery, Justin Coghlan, Adam and Travis Garone in Australia were hanging out and just talking about fashion trends and mustaches. They thought of how to support and raise awareness for men’s health such as growing and grooming a mustache. Their idea was inspired by one of their friend’s mother who was fundraising for breast cancer in October.
As of 2014, they received $580m in charitable donations. Also, as of 2017, the participating countries are Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Hong Kong, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Africa, Spain Sweden, Switzerland, the UK and USA.
Here are the steps to follow Movember:
1. You must begin with a clean-shaven face on November 1.
2. For the entire month of November you must grow and groom a mustache.
3. Leave your beard, but shave off your mustache to show support.
4. You must act like a "true country gentleman" throughout the month.
Source: https://www.mensjournal.com/health-fitness/the-history-of-movember-20141103/
Are you going to participate in Movember? Let us know in the comments below.
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Just throwing a pertinent point out there for any Muslims considering taking up this or any other current trends/challenges; for Muslims; beards are encouraged while moustaches are discouraged; most Muslims, including myself, have not attained the level of piety and devotion to our religion where we would grow a full beard in accordance with the prophetic traditions; accordingly, let us at least think twice before we take up new innovative trends which involve actions which are expressly disliked and discouraged in Islam; if we can't do the right thing, let us then avoid the wrong thing too; i don't mean to be a killjoy or a bore and I'd never say this publicly in some other countries including my own; but alhamdlillah I'm in a Muslim country among my Muslim brothers and I don't need to be afraid or reluctant or embarrassed to present this thought to those who might benefit from it; may Allah guide us all and open our doors :-)