National Hug Day

January 21st is National Hug Day, and was founded back in 1986, in Caro, Michigan, by Rev. Kevin Zaborney. Yes, 25 years ago. There's a website, www.nationalhuggingday.com, and National Hugging Day™ (the official name) is trademarked. It's officially recognized by the United States Patent and Trademark Office as a holiday. It has a following in Poland, Germany, Australia, England, and right here in Canada.

Looking through the website, one of the links is an article about hugging. "An apple a day keeps the doctor away". Well, "a 20-second hug a day keeps the blues away" by raising oxytocin (the feel-good hormone) levels in our bodies.

Ready to hug? What kind of hug do we give? The choices are:

• The Back to Front Hug: Squeeze your honey from behind. This a 100% giving hug.
• The Bear Hug: Strong and lovable, but may require medical attention if ribs get broken. Best left to football and rugby players.
• The Cheek Hug: Soft and tender. Best way to show affection to those who are frail in body, but not in heart. Also good to show affection for friends, colleagues, and even strangers, too.
• The Side-to-Side Hug: Arms locked around the hips while standing next to or walking with someone. Not overly intimate, but still gives a feeling of closeness.
• The Heart Centered Hug: The most intimate hug, the one that melts hearts, and makes everything feel better. Everyone should experience this hug on a regular basis.

It's good to see people promoting a simple act that is meant to make anyone one else feel special, even for a few seconds. It's just a little sad that we need a specific day to encourage it.

It will be late in the day by the time you read this (and maybe you're reading this well after January 21st). No matter, any time is a good time for a hug, be it now, later tonight, tomorrow, or the next day.

Give your loved ones a hug.

Please don't complain that you're not hugged enough. National Whiner's Day™ was December 26th.

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