Need a hug?

 

Today is Blue Monday, the most depressing day of the year.

In 2005 British psychologist Cliff Arnall calculated that the third Monday of January was the day on which most people feel down.

They struggle with keeping resolutions, the holidays are still a long way off, it's very dark and usually gloomy outside, for many people it's also the first day of the workweek, ...

Later it turned out that all of this was a PR stunt by a travel agency and that they had recruited an academic to promote their idea and thus give it more credibility.

 

But even though it was just a PR stunt, it remains true that lots of people feel a bit down during this time of the year.

Luckily in a few days there's already another event that aligns seamlessly.

Because on January 21 it's National Hugging Day!

 

In the eighties American Kevin Zaborney decided to organize a day to encourage family and friends to hug often and consensually with one another.

Being published in Chase's Calendar of Annual Events, National Hugging Day (occasionally shortened to National Hug Day or Hug Day) was first widely celebrated in 1986.

Since then this event continued to grow internationally and is celebrated every year on January 21.

 

As we can't hug in real life (both due to corona and also to some geographical distance), this article is meant as a virtual hug to all of you!

What better way than show you this heart warming movie?

Actually it's a Christmas add. But hey, as we are talking about different sorts of special days, this one fits perfectly in. And both the message and the images are so beautiful, that it seemed just like the perfect note to end my article with:

 

 

 

Big hug!