National Hugging Day

Sometimes, timing is everything. On a day that’s bitterly cold in the northeast, our calendar says it’s National Hugging Day.

It gives you an excuse to give and receive a hug. Hugs can express love, they can express caring. They can be therapeutic. They can be used to celebrate an event. Hugs just make you feel good inside.

National Hugging Day was created in 1986 by Rev. Kevin Zaborney from Caro, Mich. He felt hugs are a sign of compassion. He said Americans are afraid to show their feelings in public, and he thought a day to express your feelings might change that. And he chose January 21 because it’s midway between the Christmas and New Year’s holidays and Valentine’s Day, when people are usually in low spirits.

Usually when you give a hug, you get one in return. It doesn’t always work that way. But how often do you give one and you don’t get one in return? A young guy named Ross in Florida put hugging to the test – walking up to complete strangers and giving them a hug. Check the video to see how that went.