World Hug Day

Celebrating World Hug Day

Although not officially a national holiday, January 21^st was held as the World Hug Day in different countries such as United States of America, Russia, Germany, Canada, England and Australia.  This is so because hugging is a form of touch therapy that is regarded to be a cure for minor stress and loneliness.  Nearly anyone can tell you that a hug can do wonders for an empty and lonely heart.

Where Did It All Start?

This celebration was started by a certain Reverend named Kevin Zaborney in the year 1986.  Reverend Kevin Zaborney is a resident of Caro, Michigan and works as a Services Specialist with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of Michigan.  He also holds a Master’s degree in Divinity from Boston University. 

Reverend Zaborney was quick to point out that hugging may be a form of therapy for people.  He stated that hugging somebody means that you are openly accepting him as a person and are willing to get to know him more.  It also helps spread the spirit of friendship everywhere. 

Hugging has been known to be a form of sharing that spreads peace and love throughout the community.  Different organizations such as schools, nursing homes, child care facilities and churches have picked up on the idea and decided that the National Hug Day should be celebrated as a day to share peace for everyone. 

The Effects of Hugging:

Hugging is viewed as the very first type of touch a human being experiences when he first opens his eyes to the world, when his mother would pull him to her chest after giving birth and give him a warm squeeze as if to say, “Welcome to the world, my child”.  No wonder then that as we get older, we still experience that rush of being acknowledged and cherished whenever we are hugged by somebody else.  Hugging connects us to that very first time we experienced love and acceptance. 

The effects of hugging have been researched throughout history.  A certain researcher named Jay Gordon M.D. stated that babies who receive a sustained form of touch like hugging are smarter than those who do not receive one.  Some even say that a child should get an average of 12 hugs a day to grow up feeling secured with himself as a person.  A child growing up without the comfort of hugging are said to become sociopaths in the future.  So it is usually best if we give our children the cherishing hugs they deserve.  Although the studies claims are still in the hypothetical stages, what do we really lose if we follow them?  It would not hurt you to give your child a hug every now and then, right?

Staring January 21^st, people from different countries try to hug at least 3 persons a day for the next seven days.  World Hug day has indeed reached a vast following that people practicing it have declared certain individuals like Reese Witherspoon as the year 2006’s Most Huggable Person.