You say “cancer” when I say “Bandana”, right? Bandanas are a symbol of sex and culture. However, National Bandana Day is a day when people around the world attach special meaning to bandanas. We can be serious here. In 2012, 14.1 million cases of Cancer were reported around the globe.

It doesn’t stop at the next year. You can see how many people have been affected by this deadly, pervasive, and devastating disease over time. Its effects extend far beyond patients and reach out to their families, friends, and the wider community. What does a bandana, a simple head ornament, have to do about cancer?

It is difficult to locate a specific example of a National Bandana Day, but it could have originated in Australia with CanTeen. The organization holds a Bandana Day every year to raise awareness and support young people with cancer.

Why not bandanas? What about a bake sale selling ads, pins, etc. The most common treatment for cancer, chemotherapy, is often shortened to chemo. This treatment involves the use of anti-cancer drugs that are administered as part of a chemotherapy program. Chemo can cause hair loss due to the powerful nature of the drugs. Bandanas are a result.

Bandanas are used most often on the head to keep hair back, protect the skin from the sun or to look cool and fashionable. Bandanas can be used as a visual reminder of the effects of chemotherapy. But that’s not all. Bandanas are frequently associated with street punks who wear them to show solidarity with their friends (eh Australia), wearing the same color and the same style.

They say, “We are strong and support one another.” The bandanas are the same attitude that cancer patients and their families have for each other. They say that cancer will not stop them.

National Bandana Day celebrates cancer support. Wearing a bandana is the best way to celebrate. Find a group that sells bandanas and support them. Buy one and wear it! You can wear it as you like, but make sure it is visible so that people don’t forget about it. You can then encourage them to buy their own bandanas and donate. If purchasing a bandana for an organization does not fulfill your need to support the cause, you can raise some extra cash to support the American Cancer Society and other worthy organizations that support cancer research and care.

You can decorate your own bandana if you are more artistic. Use markers, glue, glue sticks, beads and sparkles to decorate your National Bandana Day bandana.