Kangaroo mother and baby

© Belle Ciezak/Shutterstoc

When only a hug will do. Hugging Day

Whether you call it a hug or an embrace, there is something about the power of touch that all mammals can relate to. Take this mommy kangaroo and her joey for example—no words are needed to convey what is going on in this image. Not only does this cute pair give us the warm and fuzzies, it's also a perfect visual for National Hugging Day, which we are celebrating today.

This warm-hearted occasion was created in 1986 by a man named Kevin Zaborney, who chose Jan 21 because it fell after the run of year-end holidays, landing right in the middle of winter when spirits tend to be low. That makes perfect sense to us! After all, hugging has been an essential part of the human experience for thousands of years. And studies have shown that it reduces stress, too. So find yourself a willing partner today and hug it out. You'll feel better, we promise.