what is hippie

A hippie, also spelled hippy, is someone associated with the counterculture of the 1960s, originally a youth movement that began in the United States during the 1960s and spread to different countries around the world. The term "hippie" came from "hipster" and was used to describe beatniks who moved into New York Citys Greenwich Village, in San Franciscos Haight-Ashbury district, and Chicagos Old Town community. Hippies rejected established institutions, criticized middle-class values, opposed nuclear weapons and the Vietnam War, embraced aspects of Eastern philosophy, championed sexual liberation, were often vegetarian and eco-friendly, promoted the use of psychedelic drugs, and created intentional communities or communes. They advocated nonviolence and love, and were known for their distinctive style, favoring long hair, casual dress, and often unconventional attire. The movement originated on college campuses in the United States, although it spread to other countries, including Canada and Britain. Hippies were largely a white, middle-class group of teenagers and twentysomethings who felt alienated from middle-class society, which they saw as dominated by materialism and repression. They took a stand against conformity and sought a return to a more peaceful and natural lifestyle. The hippie movement was not just limited to the United States, as it occurred in many other countries, including Mexico, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, and Chile.