National Orgasm Day: 10 Fascinating Facts to Celebrate this Occasion
Yesterday, on July 31st, the official National Orgasm Day is being celebrated in the United Kingdom, Australia, the United States, and Canada. The day aims to raise awareness, break taboos that still exist in society, and make sexual pleasure more accessible.
Here are a few facts about this day that you may not know:
1. Orgasm Has Greek Origins
The word "orgasm" comes from the ancient Greek word ὀργασμός (orgasmós), which translates to "excitement" or "swelling."
2. Orgasm as a Cure-All
As far back as the 8th century BCE, a healer-Argonaut named Melampous treated women with certain ailments using orgasms and encouraged them to engage in sexual activities with strong young men, as described by Homer.
3. First Written Description of Female Orgasm
The first written description of female orgasm was made by a 12th-century Benedictine nun, Hildegard of Bingen, from the present-day land of Rhineland-Hesse, Germany. She was sent to a Benedictine monastery at the age of eight and became known for her musical compositions, sermons, and works on topics such as gender, medicine, and theology.
4. Orgasm in Philology
The French term for orgasm, "la petite mort" - "the little death," is an expression that means "a brief loss or weakening of consciousness" and in modern usage refers specifically to the feeling after orgasm, likened to a death-like state. Literary critic Roland Barthes spoke of la petite mort as the primary goal of reading literature, a feeling that should arise during encounters with any great literature. The first recorded use of the term with the meaning "orgasm" was in 1882.
5. First Vibrator for Orgasms
In 1869, American physician George Taylor invented the manipulator - a steam-powered vibrator that occupied an entire room. The approximate year when the first handheld vibrator was sold in the United States was 1900. Apparently, users had to manually turn it.
6. The G-Spot for Orgasms
The G-spot does exist and is named after researcher Ernst Gräfenberg, who first wrote about it in the 1950s as a highly erogenous zone that should be considered when treating female sexual inadequacy. The research was published in The International Journal of Sexology.
7. First Female Orgasm on Screen
Hedy Lamarr, a Hollywood star once considered the most beautiful woman in the world, was also a self-taught inventor and developed technology for Bluetooth and secure Wi-Fi. When she was 19 and lived in her native Vienna, she appeared in Gustav Machatý's controversial romantic drama "Ecstasy" (1933), where she experienced the first female orgasm on screen in a non-pornographic film. This caused such a sensation that Lamarr's then-husband, Friedrich Mandl, attempted to cover it up by buying all available posters.
8. Speed of an Orgasm - Like an Ostrich's Run
At a speed of 45 km/h, ejaculation equals the speed of an ostrich running.
9. Marijuana Smokers Have More Orgasms
Surveyed cannabis smokers had 109% more chances of having multiple orgasms.
10. Men Also Fake Orgasms
37% of men in a Match survey admitted to having faked orgasms.
Considering the incredibly hot summer this year, before racing for orgasms, read some advice from a sexologist about lovemaking in the heat.
Romantic bonus for those who read to the end - immerse in beachside relaxation with the flawless tune 'Escape (The Piña Colada Song)' by Rupert Holmes.