On This Day – January 21st

National Hugging Day is an annual event dedicated to hugging. It was created by Kevin Zaborney and occurs annually on January 21st.

The day was first celebrated in 1986 in Clio, Michigan, USA. The holiday is also observed in many other countries. The idea of National Hug Day is to encourage everyone to hug family and friends more often.

Zaborney cautions to ask first if one is unsure of the recipient's response.

The date was chosen as it fell between the Christmas and New Year's Holidays and Valentine's Day when people were thought to be generally in low spirits.

Hug Facts

• Hugs make us feel "happy"! When we hug another person, our bodies release oxytocin, a hormone associated with "happiness," according to scientific studies.
• Hugs alleviate stress! Just as a good hug increases our oxytocin levels, it decreases our cortisol or "stress" levels.
• Hugs improve our game! Scientists at University of California, Berkley discovered that the more affectionate members of a team are with each other, the more likely they are to win.
• A hug a day keeps the doctor away! A hug stimulates the thymus gland, which in turn regulates the production of white blood cells that keep us healthy and disease-free.
• A hug stops the bug! Researchers at Carnegie Mellon proved that individuals who were sick and received hugs had less severe symptoms and were able to get better quicker.
• A hugging heart is a healthy heart! Research from University of North Carolina showed that a good hug helps ease blood flow and lower cortisol levels, which in turn help lower our heart rates.
• A hugging couple is a happy couple! Couples that experience their partners' love through physical affection share higher oxytocin levels.
• Hugs let someone know you care without having to say a word! According to Dacher Keltner, professor of psychology at University of California, Berkeley, we can identify love from simple human touch – imagine how much love a big hug can communicate!

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