Every human being on the planet understands the concept of a hug. It’s a form of endearment where two or more people put their arms around each other. It’s a universal act in almost all human communities around the world, and this behavior can even be seen among most primates.

A hug can be used as a type of greeting or in a celebratory manner. Although some other forms of human contact between two people might have a stigma attached to them, that is usually not the case with hugs, and hugs are observed in most countries, cultures, and religions. That’s how important the hug is to humans, and that’s why Hug Holiday is annually observed on June 29th.

The History of Hug Holiday

Unlike other holidays that celebrate the human hug, this holiday doesn’t have a clear lineage that we can trace. We’ve been unable to uncover who invented this holiday, why they invented it, or when they invented it.

From our research, we know that this holiday has been around for a few years, but we can’t pinpoint the exact date of its creation. We’ll keep looking, but right now, it doesn’t look like we’re going to find out where this holiday came from.

Some Fun Facts About Hugs

If we’re going to celebrate a holiday centered on hugging, then we’re going to have to learn more about the common hug. So that’s what we did. We fired up our computers, went out on the Internet, and found out some facts about the hug that we could share with everyone thinking about observing Hug Holiday.

The following list is what we uncovered during our research. We hope everyone reading today finds the following facts enjoyable and educational. We know we did.

• Hugs release oxytocin in both persons’ brains. This hormone is known as the “love hormone” and helps to cement emotional bonds between people.
• A full-body hug reduces feelings of loneliness, increases self-esteem, and helps to combat fear.
• Scientific research shows that hugs lower a person’s blood pressure slightly.
• When couples cuddle, both get a boost in their immune system.

Observing Hug Holiday

Hugging and spending time with friends and family is the best way to observe Hug Holiday. Couples can cuddle on the couch while watching their favorite movie, friends can greet one another with a hug, and people can learn more about hugging and how it’s actually beneficial to them emotionally and physically. People can also spread the news about this holiday using the hashtag #HugHoliday online.