Places where a mo isn't just for Movember, it's for life

In some countries, a mo isn't just for Movember, it's for life. The men of the Gecko's office have ditched their razors the past four week to help raise funds and awareness for men's health. But today we look at other mo-loving countries around the world and the significance of the mo in their culture:

India

Moustaches hold great cultural significance in India and are considered a mark of masculinity. Some estimates suggest as many as 80 percent of men in southern India have moustaches, which immediately places that one region above most countries in terms of moustache-wearing men. 

India is one of the top moustache-dense nations in the world, where a bit of upper lip hair is seen as a symbol of virility. An Indian also holds the title of the world's longest moustache, measured in 2004 at 12.5 feet. 

Egypt

Last year, an Egyptian man set up an association of men with long moustaches.  The “Association of Egyptian Moustache” was only open to those with a moustache no less that 20 centimetres in length. Its slogan says: “A man without a moustache is like a donkey without a tail.”

China

The 7,000-odd Terracotta soldiers in China (210 BC) possess no fewer than 24 different kinds of moustache between them. The officers among them can be identified by their moustaches and headdresses.

Turkey
In Turkey, the moustache is seen as a distinct part of your own personality. Here, the shape and style of your mo says a lot more about you than most outsiders might think.

Mehmet Fedakar from Kahramanmaras claimed to have the longest moustache in the country. His incredible mo stretched for more than one and a half metres. But he got in an argument with family members one night, and their revenge was to sneak inside his home in the night...with a pair of scissors. I think you know the rest.

Mexico
A good mo fits right in with Mexico's masculine culture. Icons such as Emiliano Zapata and Pancho Villa played an influential role in the rise of the moustache, but  the history of the mo in Mexico stretches back a long way. Many indigenous people did not grow facial hair, so when the European settlers arrived they were said to have grown moustaches as a way of demonstrating their different social status. 

As Movember 2011 draws to a close, the men of Australia will start to reach for their razors again. How did your fundraising efforts go? Tell us about it in the comments section below, or upload a picture of yourself to twitter or Facebook.

Gecko's is proud to once again be a sponsor of Movember, providing the major prize for the International Man of Movember competition. This is open to all entrants, and the prize is two spots on our 11-day Reunification Express tour through the heart of Vietnam.

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