“…Any man who can hitch the length and breadth of the galaxy, rough it, slum it, struggle against terrible odds, win through, and still knows where his towel is is clearly a man to be reckoned with.”

First on the scene as a BBC radio comedy in the late 70’s, then a series of popular novels, comic books, stage and screen adaptations, video games and more…you could say The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy has picked up more than its fair share of fans over the years.

In a nutshell, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy tells the tale of Arthur Dent, the last surviving man after a Vogon attack on Earth, who is rescued by an alien writer named Ford Prefect – the author, in the story, of the guide which helps Dent navigate the stars as an interstellar hitchhiker. Simple enough, right?

And the man who created Hitchhiker’s Guide, author Douglas Adams, has become immortalized since his unfortunate passing on May 11, 2001.

In memoriam, a celebration was proposed for May 25^th, two weeks after his passing – Towel Day, when fans of Adams’ sci-fi series would openly carry towels with them to show their love for both the story and its creator.

What is Towel Day?

It seems a strange tribute - but to fans, it makes absolute sense. In fact, there are Intergalactic Towel Day Ambassadors for Earth chosen every year, and events are held everywhere from Austria to Singapore and beyond.

According to The Hitchhiker’s Guide itself: “A towel, it says, is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have.” 

With endless uses, from using it ‘to sail a mini raft down the slow heavy river Moth” to wrapping a towel around your head ‘to ward off noxious fumes’ or ‘avoid the gaze of the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal’, “your towel”, the Guide stresses, “has great practical value”.

Here are some ways you can celebrate Towel Day:

• Visit towelday.org to find events in your area of the galaxy
• Carry a towel – or 42 towels, if you prefer
• Take a picture with a towel and use the hashtag #towelday to share with other hitchhikers
• Join the Towel Day Facebook group to stay updated on intergalactic happenings
• Read/carry/give away copies of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy to fellow Earthlings
• Listen to Towel Day inspired music
• Watch an astronaut read Hitchhiker’s Guide on the International Space Station
  
• Don’t panic!