In the early 1980's I went to my first Rainbow Gathering, in the woods of upper Michigan, US, where there were about ten thousand people, organized into various camps. The camp I chose had, as its mission, to prepare food for the "main circle," and I'm a pretty capable institutional cook. I had been naked at gravel pit swimming holes before, and was always naked in my tent, as I always am in bed. The gathering is not a nudist one, and probably 99% of the people there are clothed, except for swimming, but nudity is not against the rules. So I would simply not dress when I came out of my tent to help at the cooking fire, and enjoy its warmth.
Each day, we would prepare a large, heavy pot of food, and then a crew of volunteers would carry it to the waiting crowd. One day, there weren't enough volunteers - it took four people to carry the pot of food through the woods on poles - and the they came to the cooking fire to ask for someone to help. I agreed to go. But what to do? I was naked. Should I go into my tent for clothes? I decided not to delay the group, and went as I was.
We carried the food to the main circle, where about a thousand people sat in a large circle in an open meadow, waiting for their meal. I then realized what our job was - not just to deliver the food, but to walk around the entire circle, ladling some of the food into the bowl of each person in turn. So, naked, I walked from person to person, with a word of greeting and a ladle of soup for each. I got a lot of smiles, and felt very supported - not embarrassed at all. Just a naked hippie.
I have enjoyed many Rainbow Gatherings since, but will always remember that time in Michigan fondly for the level of acceptance I felt.

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