A Room Of One’s Own Day

Moms and dads who are surrounded by yelling children, obnoxious coworkers or a bad-tempered spouse with a headache, can heartily attest to Virginia Woolf’s assertion that in order to write successfully, one needs a room of one’s own. And, of course, Woolf’s 1928 essay ‘A Room of One’s Own’ was surely the inspiration behind A Room Of One’s Own Day.

History of A Room of One’s Own Day

A Room of One’s Own Day was established to be an annual event on the anniversary of Virginia Woolf’s birthday on January 25, 1882. The day is meant to celebrate not only a person’s ability to have their own room, but also for a woman specifically to be able to find her own space in the world to work as well as to enjoy herself and have access to her own income.

As Woolf was a feminist and an activist for the rights of women, the essay itself was published in 1929 and focused on the subject of women’s empowerment and access to education. Of course, perhaps in these more enlightened times it is fine to relax the rules a little and make this a day purely for appreciating and taking advantage of those rights!

How to Celebrate A Room of One’s Own Day

Certainly, the essence of celebrating this day is spelled right out in the title – by having some time to oneself or A Room of One’s Own. Have a delightful time honoring Woolf and the sentiment behind the day by celebrating with some of these ideas:

Spend Time in A Room of Your Own

Planning is essential when it comes to celebrating A Room of One’s Own Day. It might be important to have access to some good books (possibly by Virginia Woolf), some good music, and possibly even a slice of cake or some other delicious snack. In fact, cake is almost certainly a necessity. Add in a drop or two of a favorite wine or a cup of tea. Then, batten down the hatches and take some time out to celebrate yourself – most certainly in a room of your own.

Connect with Virginia Woolf

Although she lived many decades ago, Virginia Woolf was considered to be one of the more innovative and unique writers of the 20th century. Her books and essays caused quite a stir through her modern ‘stream of consciousness’ style of writing. And obviously, since she found it important to have a room of her own for writing, a perfect way to celebrate A Room of One’s Own Day might be to read some of her work. This might be best accomplished while curled up in a quiet room alone!

Share A Room of One’s Own Day with Friends

Quite a few people might not be aware of A Room of One’s Own Day, which is a sadness. Share about the day with friends or on social media and perhaps include one of these famous quotes by Virginia Woolf:

Advocate for Women’s Education and Rights

While much of the world now sees that girls deserve to be offered the same rights and opportunities for education that boys receive, there are still many nations and cultures who oppress their women. Learn more about charities that fight for women’s rights and the access girls have to education, and then perhaps volunteer or make a donation to a charity that is dedicated to helping with this important cause.

Charities such as the Malala Fund, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, CAMFED and the Women’s Empowerment Program are just a few of the non-profit organizations that work toward helping reduce the gender gap between men and women.