National Simplicity Day — 12 July

It’s time to get back to basics and celebrate National Simplicity Day! The holiday falls every year on July 12 in honor of the birthday of Henry David Thoreau, who was born that day in 1817. Thoreau was a jack-of-all-trades — an author, an environmentalist, an abolitionist, a poet — but you probably remember him from your high school English class mainly as a transcendentalist. He and his contemporary transcendentalists believed, in simple (see what we did there?) terms, that people have knowledge about themselves that “transcends” all the external forces in their lives. They advocated for living a simpler life to better get in touch with those feelings. Now we’re not telling you to abandon your life and go live in the woods for a few years, but we love the idea of taking the day to evaluate your life and find out what elements of it are simply the most important to you. So read on for some modern-day tips on how to celebrate National Simplicity Day — as Thoreau himself said: “As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler.”