Let’s Hug Day on December 3 celebrates the warmth and comfort of a hug. Hugs are very versatile. Many of us hug when we wish to share our happiness with family and friends.
At the same time, hugs are a staple when we are feeling low and need someone to just hold and console us. Hugs are also the perfect reconciliatory gesture when you want to make up with someone after a fight. Scientifically, hugs are known to release good hormones that can help lower your blood pressure and stress levels.
- 1560s – The English language records the first instance of ‘hug’ being used as a verb.
- 1986 – Kevin Zaborney commemorates the first National Hugging Day to encourage people to show affection to each other in public.
- 2007 – A team of archeologists discovered the so-called “Lovers of Valdaro” in a Neolithic Tomb near Mantua in Italy. The lovers are a pair of human skeletons that have been buried holding each other in a tight embrace. They have been determined to be approximately 6000 years old.
- 2018 – Researchers at Mulawarman University in Indonesia discover that hug therapy helps adolescents suffering from depression.
- 2019 – Hugging helps increase feelings of trust, love, friendship, and affection.
- The word ‘hug’ is thought to come from the Old Norse word ‘hugga’, which means “to comfort”.
- Other scholars speculate that the word may have originated from the German word ‘hegen’ that roughly translates to ‘cherish’ or ‘foster’.
- In the English language, ‘hug’ is said to have been used somewhere in the 16th century.
- Babies and children who receive hugs have higher levels of oxytocin, which can strengthen their immune systems.
- While the etymology and history of the word may differ, the emotion behind it has more or less stayed the same since the inception of the act.
- Having daily hugs is a necessary way to maintain relationships. Moreover, hugs also release the happy hormone called oxytocin, reducing cortisol, which is the stress hormone.
- Hugs can also help regulate blood pressure, heartbeats, depression, anxiety, and frustration.
- Hugs Reduce Stress. As a sign of support and solidarity, hugs provide a boost to mental health. Touch has been proven to reduce the negative impact of painful and stressful situations in humans. And it’s also good for the person who is offering the hug to show support.
- Hugs Can Improve the Immune System. Hugs may help to increase the protection against illness by offering support, which reduces the risk of getting sick.
- Hugs May Increase Heart Health. Hugs have been shown to reduce blood pressure and heart rate, which are important factors related to heart health.
- When you hug someone or something, oxytocin is released. The hormone is known as the ‘happy’ or the ‘love’ hormone, and it helps lift your spirits.
- There are several different types of hugs, so they are not limited to just three. However, the three most common types of hugs could be the side hug, front hug, and hugging from behind.
- The majority of people lead with their right arm when going in for a hug.
- When there is a positive or negative emotion triggering the hug, you tend to go in with the left side of your body, which is controlled by the right side of your brain. The right side of your brain does a lot of processing of positive and negative emotions.
- Α full-body hug stimulates your nervous system while decreasing feelings of loneliness, combating fear, increasing self-esteem, defusing tension, and showing appreciation.
- Studies found that hugging -even if it was just an intimate object like a teddy bear – helps soothe individuals’ existential fears.
- Cuddling helps deepen your relationships. Communication is important in relationships, but people often forget how effective and meaningful touch can be.
- Even a 10-second hug can improve your health. Results of the study “Meanings of hugging” from Lena Forsell and Jan Åström identified several impacts a 10-second hug can have to your health:
- Lower risk of heart disease
- Fight infections
- Stress reduction
- Fight fatigue
- Boost your immune system
- Ease depression
- On average, people spend one hour a month hugging.
- The average hug lasted 3.17 seconds and was neither influenced by the gender combination of the hugging pair, nor by the nationality of the two huggers.
- In 2007, a team of archeologist discovered the so-called “Lovers of Valdaro” in a Neolithic Tomb near Mantua in Italy (Stewart, 2007). The lovers are a pair of human skeletons that have been buried holding each other in a tight embrace. They have been determined to be approximately 6000 years old, so we know for sure that people already hugged each other in Neolithic times.
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