Every year on January 21, we get to indulge in the warm and comforting celebration of National Hugging Day. This is more than just a celebration, it’s a day dedicated to spreading love and fostering personal connections through the simple act of hugging.
The aim of National Hugging Day is to highlight how a simple hug can be a powerful tool for emotional wellbeing. Essentially, it’s a day to remember how much good we can do, just by offering someone a hug.
History of National Hugging Day
National Hugging Day is a celebration that first took place on January 21, 1986, in the US town of Clio, Michigan. The instigator of this day was Kevin Zaborney, a reverend and therapist specializing in marriage and family issues.
Zaborney’s thought was that people might need a bit of an emotional lift during the winter period, post New Year’s celebrations and just before Valentine’s and St. Patrick’s Day. Thus, he came up with the idea of a day dedicated to hugging. The specific date, January 21, was chosen as it’s when people often feel low, situated between the cheer of Christmas and the love-filled Valentine’s.
Much to Zaborney’s surprise, his National Hugging Day press release piqued the interest of various news outlets nationwide. The concept of a day devoted to hugging caught on swiftly, spreading beyond the US to countries including Canada, England, Australia, Germany, and Poland. Though it’s not an official holiday, National Hugging Day is substantially acknowledged, appearing in resources such as Chase’s Calendar of Annual Events and the records of the US Copyright Office.
Across the world, people now recognize National Hugging Day as an occasion to embrace loved ones more often. The day serves as a reminder of the benefits that hugging can bring, from boosting mental wellbeing, to reducing stress, to promoting heart health. Ultimately, it encourages the thought that something as simple as a hug can often be a comforting solution amid life’s challenges.
National Hugging Day Timeline
Inception of National Hugging Day
The holiday was first celebrated on 21 January 1986 in Clio, Michigan, USA. It was created by Kevin Zaborney.
Global Recognition
The day gained popularity worldwide and started to be recognized in different countries as a day to encourage the sentiment of expressiveness and care.
Online Presence
National Hugging Day established an online presence, allowing more people around the world to know about and participate in the day.
Guinness World Record
The most hugs given in 24 hours is 9,277, and was achieved by Jeffrey Ondash (USA).
Ideas to Celebrate National Hugging Day
Create a Hug-a-thon
Start a fun competition among friends, family or coworkers to see who can exchange the highest number of hugs within a set period. Reward the winner with a small gift or recognition.
Free Hugs Campaign
With due consideration to current health regulations and having obtained necessary permissions, head to a populated area and start a free hugs momentum. Don't forget to carry a sign indicating the same!
Hug a Pet
Our pets need affection too! Use this day as a reminder to cuddle your pets a bit more. If you don't own a pet, lend a helping hand at an animal shelter and shower those pets with some much-needed love.
Social Media Hug Challenge
Promote a challenge on your social media accounts. Ask your followers to post pictures of themselves sharing or receiving a hug, and make sure there's a unique hashtag related to National Hugging Day involved.
Share Hug Quotes
Take to your social media profiles and post a collection of poignant, heart-touching hug quotes all through the day to lighten up the mood of your followers.
Hug Yourself
Don't forget the person who needs your love the most - you! Celebrate self-kindness and comfort by wrapping yourself in a self-embracing squeeze.
5 Interesting Facts About Hugging
The world’s longest hug
A phenomenal instance of a 26 hours, 26 minutes and 26 seconds hug was recorded between 26 couples from Thailand, who set the Guinnes record for the world's longest hug.
Hugs can boost your immune system
Embracing others more frequently, according to a study in Psychological Science, can actually improve your immune defenses. Those with a stronger social support network and who hugged more often were less susceptible to illnesses.
Hugging promotes heart health
Did you know that a warm hug can actually promote cardiac health? Research from the University of North Carolina has shown that when we hug someone we care about, both our blood pressure and heart rate decrease, along with our stress levels, providing protective effects against heart disease.
Hug therapy
Increasingly, the therapeutic benefits of hugging are being recognized. It is shown that hugs potentially lower stress and anxiety, regulate blood pressure, and release a hormone called oxytocin, pointing to the emergence of 'hug therapy'.
Increases Bonding
Hugging releases the hormone oxytocin in the brain, often known as the bonding hormone. It's associated with feelings of trust, compassion, and intimacy. This is why hugs can feel so good and comforting!
National Hugging Day FAQs
Next National Hugging Day Dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | January 21st | Saturday |
| 2024 | January 21st | Sunday |
| 2025 | January 21st | Tuesday |
| 2026 | January 21st | Wednesday |
| 2027 | January 21st | Thursday |
| What is the pattern? | Every January 21st | |
National Hugging Day Word Search
- Cuddle
- Hugging
- Warmth
- Affection
- Kindness
- Love