Hippies of the 60's..

Hippies were citizens of the baby boom years 1945 to 1955. The term “Hippie” came from the word ‘hip’, which means “turned in” or “aware”. They were given this name, as they often rejected the customs, traditions and lifestyles of society in order to develop their own.
Hippies believed that helping people to express their feelings honestly, would help change the world to a happier, more peaceful society. Therefore, Hippies opposed Australia and U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War (1957 to 1975). Hippies also gave people flowers in order to express their feelings of kindness. This lead to Hippies, being referred to as “flower children”.
Many Hippies shared their possessions, and never settled down into a job or home. They often wandered from place to place seeking part-time work and temporary shelter. They also allowed their hair to grow long, wore sandals or went bare foot and often wore clothing which was brightly coloured with interesting patterns.
However, several Hippies associated themselves with drugs, such as; LSD and Marijuana, as these drugs were easily assessable during that decade. LSD causes the user to have hallucinations and effect the person’s senses; causing them to hear or see things that do not exist. “Drug experiences shaped many of their symbols and ideas.”(World Book Encyclopedia, 2004 edition)
(Google 2008. Google image Search, viewed October 2008. http://www.google.com/imghp )