By hugging a bear, we do not mean going to the wilderness to hug a bear. That’s probably dangerous. In fact, it is dangerous. Although it would be nice to hug actual bears (assuming they were domestic animals), we instead hug teddy bears on the 7th of November, also known as Hug a Bear Day.
In the United States, teddy bears were often associated with the 26th president of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt Jr., or Teddy Roosevelt. It was said that the “Teddy” bear toy was inspired by Roosevelt’s personal story in the early 1900s when he spared the life of a bear during a hunting expedition. The purpose isn’t to celebrate the American president though. It’s a day to promote hugging.
Hugs nonetheless relay the message: “I care about you. You matter.” You feel connected with a hug, helping to reduce the feeling of loneliness and fear. Even from a scientific perspective, hugs significantly lower stress hormones due to the release of oxytocin. Oxytocin, which is sometimes referred to as the love hormone, is a hormone released in the very tiny area of your brain (some of you Biology people might know it as the posterior lobe of the pituitary gland). What this hormone essentially does is to give you that warm and fuzzy feeling. Simply puy, you feel loved. This is even backed up with evidence from a study done at the University of South Carolina, which found that women who received more hugs had a much higher level of oxytocin and lower blood pressure in comparison to others who didn’t receive as much. And also, it just feels nice.
Regardless if it is the 7th of November or not, it’s always nice to give a hug. Hug your family. Hug your friends. Hug your pets. Hug your teddy bear. You might just be able to make someone’s (or your toy’s) day, and that’s pretty awesome.