Barricade Day

One of the fandoms I love the most is Les Miserables. So when I found out the the 5th (and 6th, but most commonly celebrated on the 5th) of June was the unofficial fandom day, I knew that I wanted to take part.

Why this day? 

If you're at all familiar with the plot of Les Mis, you know that about two-thirds of the way through the story, some young revolutionaries take to the streets and build themselves a barricade while fighting against the government's troops. As a tribute to the (admittedly fictional) men who died on those days, we do Les Mis-themed things.

What can you do to celebrate?

• You can do a cosplay. Even if you don't have the time and resources to make or buy a costume, you can do something inspired by one of the many characters of this epic tale. For example, if I wanted to dress up as Enjolras, I would only need to find something in a bold red color and maybe pair it with some grey or black. (In the musical, Enjolras's costume contains a bright red vest with gold brocade/buttons.) If you're going to do this accurately, it's important to take the character's personality into account and think of what they would wear if they were alive today.

This is Ramin Karimloo as Enjolras in the 25th Anniversary Edition.

• You can watch or listen to Les Mis in any of its various forms. This includes any of the movies over the years, and the 10th and 25th anniversaries of the stage musical. I'll probably end up watching the 2012 movie. I also believe that there is probably one or more different audiobooks of this gorgeous story. In addition to that, there are quite a few cast recordings of the musical out there so take you pick!

• You can read some of Les Mis. Maybe you've never read this, but you've been waiting to start. Maybe you've read it ten times. You can read a favorite passage or 50 pages. Either way, this is the day to read this book. As mentioned earlier, you can also listen to some of the audiobook if that's more up your alley.

• You can cook and/or eat some Les Mis-themed foods. Whether you eat an unordinary amount of bread (in honor of Jean Valjean's loaf of bread) or make some cupcakes and cookies that say Les Mis on them,  Be creative and have fun!

• You can sing Les Mis songs. Waltz around your house and belt those out! Sing along to your favorite cast recording! Sing along while watching the musical or movie! Just remember to have fun.

Now that you know more about this day, go out and celebrate! Even though this day is set on a few heartbreaking days, it's really a celebration of the Les Miserables fandom as a whole. Remember, the important thing is to have fun!