Editing Hug

{{Short description|Form of endearment}}
{{Other uses}}

[[File:Wedding hugs.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|A joyful hug between two women at a wedding]]
A '''hug''' is a form of [[Affection|endearment]], found in virtually all [[Communities|human communities]], in which two or more people put their arms around the neck, back, under the armpits or waists of one another and hold each other closely. If more than two people are involved, it may be referred to as a [[Hug#Group hug|group hug]].

==Etymology==
[[File:A Yoruba bride and mother.JPG|thumb|A [[Yoruba people|Yoruba]] bride and mother]]

The origins of the word are unknown, but two hypotheses exist. The first is that the verb ''hug'', first used in the 1560s, could be related to the [[Old Norse]] word {{lang|non|hugga}}, which meant to comfort. The second hypothesis is that the word is related to the [[German language|German]] word {{lang|de|hegen}}, which means to foster or cherish, and originally meant to enclose with a hedge.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=hug&allowed_in_frame=0|title=hug - Origin and meaning of hug by Online Etymology Dictionary|website=etymonline.com}}</ref>

==Characteristics==
[[File:2017-08-04-Paul Reimer-Beach Volleyball Medals-043 (36352501196).jpg|thumb|Two men hug after a volleyball match in Canada]]
A hug, sometimes in association with a [[kiss]], is a form of [[nonverbal communication]]. Depending on culture, context and [[interpersonal relationship|relationship]], a hug can indicate familiarity, [[love]], [[affection]], [[friendship]], [[gratitude]], [[Fraternity (philosophy)|fraternity]], [[flirting]], or [[sympathy]].<ref>{{Cite book |first=Kathleen |last=Keating |year=1994 |title=The Hug Therapy Book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Uvz6ukUHVyQC |location=Minneapolis |publisher=Hazelden Publishing |isbn=978-1-56838-094-0 |oclc=881566896}}</ref> 

Hugs can indicate support, [[comfort]], and [[consolation]], particularly where words are insufficient. A hug usually demonstrates affection and emotional warmth, sometimes arising from joy or happiness when reunited with someone or seeing someone absent after a long time. A non-reciprocal hug may demonstrate a relational problem. 

A hug can range from a brief one-second squeeze, with the arms not fully around the other person, to an extended holding. The length of a hug in any situation is socially and culturally determined. In the case of lovers, and occasionally others, the [[hip]]s may also be pressed together. The emotionality of the hug can also influence the direction of the hug. 

The direction of hugs generally corresponds with [[handedness]], with right-handed people tending to lead with the right hand, but a heightened emotional state makes it slightly more likely for people to lead with the left hand. This small but significant effect has been attributed to right-hemispheric emotional processing.<ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1007/s00426-018-0985-8 |pmid=29349505 |title=Embracing your emotions: Affective state impacts lateralisation of human embraces |journal=Psychological Research |year=2018 |last1=Packheiser |first1=Julian |last2=Rook |first2=Noemi |last3=Dursun |first3=Zeynep |last4=Mesenhöller |first4=Janne |last5=Wenglorz |first5=Alrescha |last6=Güntürkün |first6=Onur |last7=Ocklenburg |first7=Sebastian |volume=83 |issue=1 |pages=26–36 |s2cid=12878780 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.10.007 |pmid=30339836 |title=Hugs and kisses – the role of motor preferences and emotional lateralization for hemispheric asymmetries in human social touch |journal=Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews |volume=95 |pages=353–360 |year=2018 |last1=Ocklenburg |first1=Sebastian |last2=Packheiser |first2=Julian |last3=Schmitz |first3=Judith |last4=Rook |first4=Noemi |last5=Güntürkün |first5=Onur |last6=Peterburs |first6=Jutta |last7=Grimshaw |first7=Gina M. |s2cid=53011017 }}</ref>

==Cultural aspects==
{{multiple image
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 | image1 = Cristina Fernández de Kirchner hugs Alicia Kirchner.jpg
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 | caption2 = A hug after a basketball game in the United States
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While less common, hugging may be undertaken as part of a ritual or social act in certain social groups. It is a custom in some cultures such as France, Spain and Latin America for male friends to hug (as well as slap each other on the back) in a joyous [[greeting]].<ref>William Cane, ''The Art of Hugging: The World-Famous Kissing Coach Offers Inspiration and Advice on Why, Where, and How to Hug'', St. Martin's Griffin, US, 2013.</ref> A similar hug, usually accompanied by a [[kiss on the cheek]], is also becoming a custom among Western women at meeting or parting. In Portugal and Brazil, it is common, mostly among males, to finish letters and emails with {{lang|pt|Um abraço}} or {{lang|pt|Abraço}} ('a hug', or 'hug') followed by the sender's signature. Similar formulas may be used in oral communication. In the [[Roman Catholic]] rite of the [[Holy Mass]], a hug may be substituted for a kiss or handshake amid the [[kiss of peace]] ritual.

In May 2009, ''[[The New York Times]]'' reported that "the hug has become the favorite social greeting when teenagers meet or part these days" in the United States.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/28/style/28hugs.html |title=For Teenagers, Hello Means 'How About a Hug?' |date=2009-05-27 |first=Sarah |last=Kershaw |access-date=2009-05-29 |work=[[The New York Times]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714020842/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/28/style/28hugs.html |archive-date=July 14, 2011 }}
</ref> A number of schools in the United States have issued bans on hugs, which in some cases have resulted in student-led protests against these bans.<ref>{{cite web |last=Grant |first=Denise |date=2010-04-15 |title=Students pan hugging ban |url=http://www.thecourier.com/Issues/2010/Apr/15/ar_news_041510_story1.asp?d=041510_story1,2010,Apr,15&c=n |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120320005015/http://www.thecourier.com/Issues/2010/Apr/15/ar_news_041510_story1.asp?d=041510_story1%2C2010%2CApr%2C15&c=n |archive-date=2012-03-20 |website=The Courier}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=2008-03-02 |title=School Bans Hugs Over 2 Seconds |url=http://www.kpho.com/news/15456156/detail.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080917165700/http://www.kpho.com/news/15456156/detail.html |archive-date=Sep 17, 2008 |website=kpho}}</ref>

A Canadian journalistic investigation in 2015 noted the popularity of the hug in [[bromance]] among young francophone adults in [[Quebec]], Canada.<ref>Lili Boisvert, radio-canada.ca, [http://blogues.radio-canada.ca/originel/2015/01/19/bromance-ces-gars-qui-craquent-pour-leurs-amis/ Bromance : ces gars qui craquent pour leurs amis] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160911215636/http://blogues.radio-canada.ca/originel/2015/01/19/bromance-ces-gars-qui-craquent-pour-leurs-amis/|date=2016-09-11}}, Canada, January 19, 2015.</ref>

Unlike some other types of physical contact, a hug can be practiced publicly and privately without [[social stigma|stigma]] in many countries, religions and cultures, within families, and also across most age and gender lines,<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Duranti |first=Alessandro |date=1997-06-01 |title=Universal and Culture-Specific Properties of Greetings |url=https://anthrosource.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1525/jlin.1997.7.1.63 |journal=Journal of Linguistic Anthropology |language=en |volume=7 |issue=1 |pages=63–97 |doi=10.1525/jlin.1997.7.1.63 |issn=1055-1360|url-access=subscription }}</ref> but is generally an indication that people are familiar with each other. Moving from a [[handshake]] (or touch-free) relationship to a hug relationship is a sign of a closer friendship.

An unexpected hug can be regarded as an invasion of a person's [[personal space]], but if it is reciprocated, it is an indication that it is welcome. Some Western culture commentators advise avoiding hugs at work to prevent uncomfortable moments, especially with people who dislike hugging.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/2014/01/11/261467123/a-new-rule-for-the-workplace-hug-sparingly|agency=NPR|title=A New Rule For The Workplace: 'Hug Sparingly'|date=2014-01-11}}</ref> Also, a person, especially a [[child]], may caress and hug a [[doll]] or [[stuffed animal]]. Young children also hug their parents when they feel threatened by an unfamiliar person, although this may be regarded as clinging onto rather than hugging because it demonstrates a need for protection rather than affection.

Some cultures do not use hugging as a sign of affection or love, such as the [[Himba people|Himba]] in [[Namibia]].{{Citation needed|date=March 2012}} During the Islamic fasting month of [[Ramadan]], it is [[halal]] (permissible) for someone to hug one's significant other during daylight hours if one has self-control. However, if accompanied by libidinous urges, it is [[haram]] (sinful).<ref>[http://www.onislam.net/english/ask-the-scholar/acts-of-worship/fasting/fasting-rulings-and-regulations/169766-hugging-ones-spouse-while-fasting.html?Regulations=]{{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141020091114/http://www.onislam.net/english/ask-the-scholar/acts-of-worship/fasting/fasting-rulings-and-regulations/169766-hugging-ones-spouse-while-fasting.html?Regulations=|date=October 20, 2014}}.</ref> Hugging between the opposite gender outside the same family is uncommon and often stigmatized in many traditional Islamic communities.<ref>{{cite book |last1=C. Arnold |first1=Elizabeth |last2=Underman Boggs |first2=Kathleen |title=Interpersonal Relationships: Professional Communication Skills for Nurses |date=8 January 2015 |publisher=Elsevier Health Sciences |isbn=978-0323328579 |page=129 |edition=7th}}</ref>

==Health benefits==
Hugging has been proven to have health benefits. One study has even shown that hugs increase levels of [[oxytocin]] and reduce [[blood pressure]].<ref>{{cite web|url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4131508.stm| title = How hugs can aid women's hearts| access-date = 2008-11-28| date = August 8, 2005| publisher=BBC News}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1016/j.biopsycho.2004.11.002 |pmid=15740822 |title=More frequent partner hugs and higher oxytocin levels are linked to lower blood pressure and heart rate in premenopausal women |journal=Biological Psychology |volume=69 |issue=1 |pages=5–21 |year=2005 |last1=Light |first1=Kathleen C. |last2=Grewen |first2=Karen M. |last3=Amico |first3=Janet A. |s2cid=8570586 }}</ref> Research indicates that a 20-second-or-longer hug releases oxytocin.<ref>{{cite web |last=Colino |first=Stacey |date=Feb 3, 2016 |title=The Health Benefits of Hugging |url=http://health.usnews.com/health-news/health-wellness/articles/2016-02-03/the-health-benefits-of-hugging |website=[[U.S. News & World Report]]}}</ref> Hugging can also buffer against the release of the stress hormone [[cortisol]] if a romantic partner hug is shared before a stressful situation. However, this effect was only observed for women and not for men.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Berretz |first1=Gesa |last2=Cebula |first2=Chantal |last3=Wortelmann |first3=Blanca Maria |last4=Papadopoulou |first4=Panagiota |last5=Wolf |first5=Oliver T. |last6=Ocklenburg |first6=Sebastian |last7=Packheiser |first7=Julian |title=Romantic partner embraces reduce cortisol release after acute stress induction in women but not in men |journal=PLOS ONE |date=18 May 2022 |volume=17 |issue=5 |pages=e0266887 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0266887 |pmid=35584124 |pmc=9116618 |bibcode=2022PLoSO..1766887B |language=en |issn=1932-6203|doi-access=free }}</ref>

==Group hug==
{{Redirect|Group hug}}
[[File:Bromances.jpg|thumb|A group hug among young men]]

A group hug involves more than two people embracing each other by wrapping their arms around one another in order to physically express their bond with each other. A group hug has been found to be a useful tool in [[group therapy]] to cement a sense of cohesion among the participants after a session,<ref name="Pesso">{{Cite book |last=Pesso |first=Albert |url=https://archive.org/details/movementinpsycho0000pess/page/n9/mode/2up |title=Movement in Psychotherapy: Psychomotor Techniques and Training |publisher=New York University Press |year=1969 |publication-place=New York |pages=92–93 |oclc=89825}}</ref> although it may cause discomfort for group members who shy away from physical contact.<ref name="Pesso"/>

==Cuddling==
{{Redirect|Cuddle}}
Cuddling is a related form of [[physical intimacy]] in which two people hold one another in each other's arms for an extended period of time. Cuddling can be with family members, friends or lovers. Similar to hugging, cuddling is a more affectionate and intimate embrace, normally done for a longer period of time (usually lasting from a few minutes to several hours). In contrast to hugging, which can often be a [[nonverbal]] [[greeting]] or [[parting tradition]], cuddling is usually shared between two people who are lying down together or sitting somewhere in an intimate manner. Like hugging, cuddling makes the body release [[oxytocin]], which has a variety of effects. In some cities around the United States, cuddling has evolved into a social activity, where individuals gather for the purpose of cuddling.<ref>{{cite web |author=Milana |first=Charlotte |date=16 December 2021 |title=Cuddle Events, a New Way to Enjoy the Healing Power of Touch |url=https://www.seattlemetromagazine.com/entertainment/cuddle-events-hugz-cuddlez-erez-benari/ |work=Seattle Metro}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Bear hug]]
* [[Cuddle party]]
* [[Free Hugs Campaign]]
* [[Glomp]]
* [[Haptic communication]]
* [[Hug machine]]
* [[National Hugging Day]]
* [[Pound hug]]
* [[Side hug]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{Cite book |first=Kathleen |last=Keating |year=1987 |title=Hug Therapy 2 |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Hug_Therapy_2/Vv3guhzX1AoC?hl=en&gbpv=0 |location=Minneapolis |publisher=CompCare |isbn=0896381307 |oclc=16683219}}

==External links==
* {{Commons category-inline|Hugging}}

[[Category:Intimate relationships]]