18 July 2026

67 Minutes, More or Less

Mandela Day asks for 67 minutes of service. A few small, quiet ways to spend them.

Today marks Nelson Mandela's birthday, and the tradition that's grown around the date asks for something simple in return: 67 minutes, given to someone or something other than yourself, one for each year of his public life.

It doesn't have to be big. That's rather the point of the number — specific and small enough to actually fit into a day, not a grand gesture that gets postponed indefinitely because there's never a convenient 8 hours free.

A few unglamorous options

Sort through what you're not using and take it to a shelter or a collection point, rather than letting it sit in a bag by the door for another six months. Sit with someone who's lonelier than they'll admit to being. Learn one thing properly about a part of this country's history you've been vague about for years. Donate blood, if you're able to. Pay for the person behind you, just once, without turning it into a story you tell later.

Why we're mentioning it here

We make small, quiet things for people's homes. It felt strange to let the day pass without naming it properly, rather than posting something generic and moving on. Sixty-seven minutes is roughly the length of one very long candle burn, if that helps you picture the shape of it.

However you spend today, we hope it's a good one.

More from the journal

Flipping the ReedsHow often to turn them, and why doing it constantly is the fastest way to waste a bottle. Eight Scents, Two FamiliesThe range doubled without doubling. How the two halves relate, and how to pick across them. On Women's Day9 August marks the 1956 march to the Union Buildings. A note on what the day actually commemorates. Where to Put a DiffuserPlacement does more for a diffuser than anything else you can control.