Yaniv, a student at Kwantlen Polytechnic University in Surrey, B.C., is hoping to entice one million Canadians to join the event, which is being organized on Facebook. If he succeeds, Aug 21 will not become an official holiday but it will certainly be the first event of its kind in Canada. About 130,000 people have thus far signed on to "unzip and unwind."
"I thought a special day, just for this type of activity, (would) be the best," Yaniv said. According to news reports, he has been promoting safer sex on the Facebook page and sending out free condoms on request.
"People should call in well rather than call in sick," Vancouver sexologist Dr. Pega Ren said, adding that the long overdue idea to create a day devoted to sex and sexual well-being is important because it "de-emphasizes hatred and promotes kindness, loving and sexuality."
Canada is not the first country to think of promoting a day devoted to sex. Last year, in response to Russia's falling population, the governor of the Ulyanovsk region declared June 12 Family Contact Day, during which couples were urged to stay home and procreate. He even offered prizes to families who had babies nine months after the date.
According to demographers, the ploy is paying off. The region's birth rate has risen by over four percent over the past year.
