Bandana Day – October 27, 2023

History of Bandana Day

People believe the word ‘bandana’ comes from the Hindi word ‘Badhnati’ or ‘Badnahati,’ which means ‘to tie.’ Its history begins in South Asia and the Middle East, in the late 17th century. With an increase in trade with the Far East by the 18th century, the bandana came to the West and took off. The Dutch East India Company imported cashmere bandanas, which were a huge hit with the women. More demand raised the prices until only the upper classes could afford them. Soon, England and Scotland got into the business, producing their own shawl-like bandanas. When they reached Portugal, they were renamed ‘bandanoe,’ before finally coming to be known as ‘bandana.’ The patterns also changed over the years with each culture and country it was introduced into.

As for America, they became enamored with the bandana because of George Washington’s wife, Martha. At an accidental meeting with revolutionary printmaker, John Hewson, Martha showed him drawings of militia flags and cannons, hoping he could print them. The next year, the Washingtons received an unexpected parcel from Hewson. In it was a picture of General Washington on horseback, printed on fabric. Thus, the bandana came to American colonies. Since then, the bandana has been used for political causes, and later, a multitude of social and personal causes, including as a visual symbol for many cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.

‘Hair adverse events,’ as medical professionals call it, are a very common side-effect of cancer treatments and can also affect the quality of life. Patients young and old have shown psychological and psychosocial reactions when faced with hair loss. Surveys on cancer patients ranked hair loss as the most traumatic effect of chemotherapy, and about 8% of the patients said they would avoid chemo completely if they could, on account of the hair loss alone. Children also tend to suffer social isolation as a result of hair loss. Out of this reality, a light shines. Bandanas have come to their rescue, providing protection to the scalp and brightening their look (and day) just a little.

The history and origin of Bandana Day are still unclear, although it is thought to be the brainchild of an Australian welfare fundraising organization called CanTeen. They organize a yearly Bandana Day to raise awareness and encourage support for young people living with cancer.