National Hugging Day is celebrated around the world on Jan. 21. We missed out this year. I didn’t want to bring it up in January because we were masking up and social distancing. After all, hugging was prohibited, forbidden, taboo, verboten. People were feeling too apprehensive and anxious to hug.

Kevin Zaborney founded Hugging Day in 1986. He realized there was nothing to break the monotony between New Year’s Day and Valentine’s Day and decided everyone needed something to get them through these dreary winter days — and thought that a hug would do nicely.

Chase’s “Calendar of Events” decided to include Zaborney’s Hugging Day in their publication — and it caught on. Zaborney was right — everyone needs a hug.

Hugging makes you feel like everything is going to be OK. It makes you feel happy and safe. It reduces stress and

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