Love beads are one of the traditional accessories of hippies. They consist of one or more long strings of beads, frequently handmade, worn around the neck by both sexes. The love bead trend probably evolved from the hippie fascination with non-Western cultures, such as those of Africa, India, and Native America, which make common use of similar beads.[1]
Quotes
"At moments of suburban relaxation, in our circle of semi-bohemian homes, we smoked pot, wore dashikis and love beads, and frugged ourselves into a lather…" —John Updike[2]
Chet Atkins released a single titled "Love Beads" in 1970.
The Lemon Pipers released a song called "Love Beads and Meditation" in 1968.
In products
According to the official history of the original 1962 Pier 1 Imports store in San Mateo, California, "Our first customers were post-World War II baby boomers looking for beanbag chairs, love beads and incense."[3]
In television
In the "Bendin' in the Wind" (2001) episode of the animated series Futurama, Fry, Leela, Amy and Dr. Zoidberg follow Beck's musical tour in a Volkswagen microbus and soon run out of money during their cross country road trip. After inadvertently discovering Dr. Zoidberg naturally produces multicolored pearls as a byproduct of being ill and coughing, the crew fund the rest of their travels by stringing the pearls together and selling them as love beads to highly demanding music festival goers.
In the Mad Men season 6 episode "A Tale of Two Cities", Danny Siegel and other characters whom Don, Roger, and Harry encounter at the Los Angeles parties they attend are wearing love beads.[4]
In Bewitched, season 5, episode 6, "Mirror, Mirror on the Wall" (Nov. 7, 1968),[5] Endora puts a vanity spell on Darrin. He buys a beaded necklace on his way to work, where a conservative advertising client asks what he's wearing. Darrin replies, “Love beads. They go all the way back to ancient Egypt. The high priest used to wear them.” Later, on his way to a luncheon meeting with the client, Samantha zaps the beads off Darrin, with the words "Come flower power, rip off his beads!"
In print
In Peanuts newspaper comic, Lucy makes love beads for Schroeder who states he does not like Lucy, causing her to react violently, snatching the beads back and giving them ultimately to Snoopy who appears in the last panel wearing them.
Originally appearing in 1968, it was seen in syndicated reprint on September 13, 2015.
