THEn this very cold January, while winter tightens its grip, there is a not at all expensive way to keep warm inside and out. Yes, because today January 21st is the International Hug Daya very special day that recalls the power of a gesture as simple as it is extraordinary: that a warm squeeze that has the power to make you feel good and ward off sadness and melancholy.
January 21, 2025, is Hug Day
It is no coincidence that this celebration falls in January, in a month characterized by a veil of melancholy and sadness caused by the post-holiday period and, if you want to believe it, by the elusive Blue Monday. It is not known, with certainty, whether these were the motivations that led Kevin Zaborneya far-sighted pastor from Michigan, who established this day in 1986. We know, however, that his idea was simple: dedicate a day to fight the emotional cold that often envelops us using human warmth.
Because a hug makes you feel better
But what really happens when we hug? Science reveals a magic that goes far beyond simple physical contact. When two people hold each other for at least twenty secondsthe time needed to activate the “biochemical magic”, our brain begins a wonderful dance of hormones and neurotransmitters. Oxytocin, sweetly nicknamed the “love hormone,” surges through our bodies while cortisol, the dreaded stress hormone, retreats.
It’s undeniable: a hug is one of the most beautiful gestures there can be and one of those that make you feel better (Getty)
A real natural therapy
The effects are amazing. From the latest research byUniversity College London it emerged as a prolonged hug can be a real natural therapy. Our heart benefits immediately: blood pressure is lowered, the heartbeat is regularised, and the risk of cardiovascular disease can be reduced by up to 30%. It’s as if every hug was a small dose of well-being injected directly into our system. But there’s more. There Carnegie Mellon University found that people who hug regularly have greater resistance to disease. As if every hug strengthens a brick of our immune system.
A day of hugging in a world of distances
Some cultures have even made hugging a real art: the Italians and the Spanishfor example, they are masters in this practice and, with great simplicity, I am able to transform a simple greeting into a moment of true human connection. On the contrary, however, some Scandinavian countries, where the climate is harsher, and where it would be natural to think that hugging was very widespread, this is not the case: greeting gestures tend to be much more measuredalmost as if to reflect the ambient temperature.
“Hug Therapy”
In a world, however, where distances and formality often prevail, something is emerging increasingly recognized practice in the treatment of disorders related to social isolation and to depression, “Hug Therapy”. Not just a gesture of affection, but a real medicine for the soul. So much so that, the International Hugging Foundationan organization dedicated to promoting the importance of hugs and the benefits that come from them, also plans events, such as Hug Walks, where strangers meet to share this gesture of human warmthdemonstrating how hugging can be a bridge between different cultures, languages and generations.
Hug, universal language
The hugIn short, it remains a universal language of love and understanding. It doesn’t need translations, it doesn’t require explanations. It is a gesture that speaks directly to the heart, that heals invisible wounds and builds bridges between souls. For this reason, today, on this special day, let’s take a moment to hug someone. Whether it’s a family member, a friend or even a stranger. Let’s do it with sincerity and with the intention of transmitting some human warmth. Even without knowing it, it can make a difference in someone’s life.
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