A QUICK GUIDE TO PLUR
If you are new to the world of festivals, you might have been a little confused the first time you saw someone decked out in what looked like a bunch of friendship bracelets you made at summer camp as a kid. It probably seemed even stranger when you saw them trade bracelets after doing what looks like a secret handshake. Yeah, it may seem a little odd at first, but trading Kandi and the PLUR spirit are two of the things that makes this culture so magical.
Let's start with the basics.
What is PLUR?
PLUR stands for peace, unity, love, and respect. It is the essential philosophy of that sums up the good vibes and positivity you can find within rave culture, and it is honestly the best thing ever. At its most basic, PLUR is a sort of 'code of conduct' to follow to keep events a fun and nonjudgemental space for everyone. It also gives us a way to describe the open, fun, and amazing vibes you can find in this community.
Peace: avoiding conflict and negativity. No one comes to a rave because they want to be upset. Be kind, be open, smile and have fun. There is no need for negativity.
Love: performing acts of kindness and being open to kindness from others. This could mean something small like offering someone a piece of gum, or maybe taking someone into your group if they get separated from their own.
Unity: welcoming others into the community even if you don't know them personally. No matter where we come from, what language we speak, or what our history is, we are all united by our love of the music.
Respect: accepting one another without judgment and treating others the way you want to be treated. We all go to festivals for the same reason: we want to escape and have a chance to vibe to the music and be ourselves without judgment. Respect is a huge part of that.
Now that we have covered PLUR let's talk about Kandi.
What is Kandi?
"Kandi," are the bracelets (although they can also be super elaborate cuffs, masks, etc.) traded at events. They are made with plastic, pony beads sometimes with mixed with charms and slogans picked by the person who made them. The first piece of Kandi ever given to me had the words "Free Spirit" spelled out in white beads and it is the cutest thing ever.
Why Trade it?
Trading Kandi is like trading memories of festivals and events. When you give someone Kandi, you are giving them something they can hold on to, whether it's to remember the event, meeting you, or just the positivity they felt that night. Every time I look at my first single, I am reminded of what a wonderful time the night it was given to me and all the cool people I met along the way.
How do you trade it?
The first step is to make some Kandi of your own. All it takes to make 'singles' (the easiest type of Kandi) is some elastic stretch cord, beads, and a little time. Have a Kandi party and spend a few hours making some with your friends. Come up with cool phrases to add to yours or find cool charms to make your singles unique. Once you've done that, ask people if they want to trade. You can do this by flashing someone the peace sign to indicate you want to trade or just by asking.
The "trade" handshake
The handshake is pretty easy. First, you make a peace sign with the person you are trading. Then both of you use the same hands to make half of a heart. Next, you bring your hands together, palm to palm. Then you interlock your fingers, which allows you to slide your Kandi over to their wrist. Boom. Done. You have successfully traded.
Like with most things, none of this is mandatory. Not everyone is into PLUR, and not everyone is going to be into Kandi, but if you are, they can only enhance your experience. There is nothing better than knowing that a connection you made with someone who was once a total stranger will last long after you both leave the event grounds. PLUR is all about unity and the idea that we are all one big family, who comes together because we love the music and can't stay away from it, and isn't that pretty awesome?
