Celebrate the day!
How Do I Celebrate the Feast of Fabulous Wild Men?
Like every other holiday, the best celebration of the Feast of Fabulous Wild Men is the one that suits you, your family/friends, and your circumstances. The important thing is to celebrate the positive (fabulous) side of wild men. I propose that this means that no matter what else you do, you are focused on the nobler wild qualities of manhood: This isn’t an excuse to just be rowdy, boorish, or loud. And to my gay brothers out there, there is nothing that says this is a holiday for straight folks - it all depends on just how fabulous you are! Read this commentary on Gayly.com
One unique angle on celebrating this holiday can be found at Jimmy Beans Wool blog. Another is at Jay Diamond's love & intimacy coaching site. There are some interesting ideas suggested at the Montana Women Writers website, too. And, while this site doesn’t really add ideas to the conversation, I cannot resist including a link to the blog at the Almanac of Miscellaneous Merriment because that is such a wonderful name! My ideas for celebrating the day are outlined below. But if you are a more visual person, I have a Pinterest Feast of Fabulous Wild Men board, (also partially showing at right) with a all kinds of images for your inspiration!
Celebrations for Families
If you have children, you might want to bring out books or photos or movies that present or celebrate positive wild men, especially young men who are coming of age: My Side of the Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, Harry Potter, The Hobbit, John the Baptist in the Bible, The Princess Bride, or The White Dragon, just to name a few. Think of men who have inspired you, particularly those who have a daring edge, a connection to nature, and/or a strongly individualized streak. You might watch or read or discuss some of the men in these examples. For the youngest children, this might be protagonists in The Carrot Seed, Where the Wild Things Are, or The Big Orange Splot. I also suggest reading the Piper At the Gates of Dawn chapter in The Wind In the Willows.
When my boys were in Junior High and High School we celebrated the Feast of Fabulous Wild Men by having a special meal with a nicely decorated table, and inviting men to join us who I thought were good role models. One year this was a man from the Manspirit men’s retreat I’ve attended many times, and we included some conversation about what it means to be a man in today’s world: acknowledging the changes in social expectations and roles that are going on right now.
You might want to get together with other families and have a “Wild Rumpus” together: playing with the characters and the flavor of Where the Wild Things Are. If weather permits, you might want to make a nature outing: a snow adventure, a hike in the woods, or a beach day with an emphasis on playing with the “toys” nature offers (snow, sticks, rocks, sand, leaves, etc.) and on child-centered, high-energy games like building forts, tag, frisbee, or three-flies-up. You might share a community meal. This could be any kind of special meal at home, or you could have a picnic while you are adventuring outdoors. To make it a more creative celebration you might make “nature” foods by focusing on your fruits and veggies (always good to find fun ways to do this with kids!), or by looking to the internet (think Pinterest) to find inspiration to make sandwiches or cakes that look like trees or animals;
For Singles or those Dating
If you are a single or dating, the Feast of Fabulous Wild Men might be a time to gather a group of friends for a true feast. You could host an enormous potluck where everyone brings two dishes, so there is more food than you can possibly eat. You could go out to a cool restaurant or bar together. You might all watch a movie together with a hero who has that wild edge in a natural setting: Tarzan, Pirates of the Caribbean, Avatar, etc. Or maybe for you it’s watching a few episodes of Survivor. You could all dress as various Wild Men, with silly, serious, spiritual or sexual overtones as suits you and your friends. Following these same overtones you could have conversation or games that explore, play with, or celebrate these aspects of men. How about playing Cards Against Humanity with a Wild Man focus? Or making a video like these playful people did?
You could be rather serious about it all and use this as a day to celebrate some great wild men of old: John Muir, Henry David Thoreau, Walt Whitman, etc. You could use it as a day to celebrate the men’s traditions of native peoples which you find inspiring. You could look to the wildness of Rumi or Hafiz for inspiration. You could make a playlist of songs that celebrate men and/or wildness in some way: in lyric, music, or the way you feel listening to the music. You are at the most flexible stage in life, so you can borrow ideas from those for families (above), or couples with no family at home (below).
Celebrating As A Couple
For couples without children, the Feast of Fabulous Wild Men can be a time to celebrate the man in your life in a romantic way. Of course you can do anything suggested for families or singles - but why not take advantage of this opportunity to enjoy and celebrate the positive side of how wild and/or fabulous your man can be? There will be as many interpretations of this as there are couples in the world. But as a man who enjoys themes, nature, wildness, and being a lover, this is a goldmine for me. Candles, fire, costumes, special food & drink, a sexy man playlist, and an excuse to be a little wilder than usual makes a menu for a delicious feast, indeed!
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Again, Jay Diamond, who is a relationship and intimacy coach, has a lovely blog entry about this. She offers some food for thought about gratitude for the wild man in your life.