Public Nudity - Ritual Nudity

Ritual Nudity

Although most ceremony and traditions involve dressing up, often with some preferential attire, certain cultural or religious traditions actually prescribe(d) ritual nudity. For example, ancient Sparta held a yearly celebration from 668 BC called gymnopaedia during which naked youths displayed their athletic and martial skills through the medium of war dancing. The Adamites, an early Christian sect, practiced "holy nudism", engaging in common worship in the nude. During the Middle Ages, the doctrines of this obscure sect were revived: in the Netherlands by the Brethren of the Free Spirit and the Taborites in Bohemia, and, in a grosser form, by the Beghards in Germany. Everywhere, they met with firm opposition from the mainstream churches.

This may be symbolic, especially for 'rebirth' to a new life phase, as in the case of baptism (originally taken by an adult, later often as a child - to symbolise the washing away of original sin - and/or at least partially covered up) or certain coming of age rites, such as cow jumping by young men of the East African Hamar people before they are eligible for marriage.

In other cases, the physical exposure is a functional part testing endurance, e.g., to undergo scarification, as among various Australian Aboriginal and Sepik River tribes in New Guinea.

In India, Digambara ascetic monks reject any form of clothing and live naked, or 'sky clad'. Digambara is one of the two main sects of Jainism.

There is a tradition in some neopagan Wiccan covens of ritual nudity, called going skyclad.