National Hugging Day Timeline

2012

A political embrace

Chris Christie and Barak Obama share a brief embrace on the President's visit to New Jersey after Hurricane Sandy.

2011

Joy Spreads

National Hugging Day is a hit in Germany

1986

National Hugging Day is Born

According to one of the top , National Hugging Day was first celebrated on January 21, 1986 in Clio, Michigan

1560s

Hug joins the lexicon

Derived from the Old Norse word "hugga" or to comfort, the OG hug enters vocabularies around this time.