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Global Hug Your Kids Day

Family · July 19

A day for hugging your children, whatever their age, and for the small, ordinary affection that families share at home.

Global Hug Your Kids Day falls on Monday, July 19, 2027. That is 265 days away.

A hug is one of the first things a child learns to ask for, often before they have the words. This day is simply that: a reminder to hug your kids, whether they are toddlers who fling themselves at your knees or grown adults who now have to bend down to reach you.

Hugs change shape as children grow. Little ones want them constantly and loudly. School-age kids may prefer them at the front door rather than the school gate. Teenagers sometimes accept them on the condition that nobody mentions it afterward. Adult children tend to give the long kind at airports and the quick kind in kitchens.

Most families mark the day without any fuss. A hug at breakfast, another at bedtime, maybe one in the middle for no reason. Grandparents count too, and so do aunts, uncles and anyone who helps raise a child. For kids who are not big on hugs, a high five, a hand squeeze or sitting close on the couch carries the same message.

For families who live apart, a phone call or a short note can stand in until the next visit. Some people save a photo of an old hug and send it along.

The one rule most parents already know is that a hug works best when the child wants it. Asking first, especially with older kids, tends to get a better hug in return.

Ways to celebrate

• Give each of your kids a hug at breakfast and bedtime.
• Call or text a grown child and tell them you miss them.
• Ask a hug-shy kid if they prefer a high five instead.
• Dig out an old family photo of a hug and share it.
• Read a bedtime story with everyone squeezed onto one couch.

Dates

All national days on July 19

Also on July 19

• National Daiquiri Day
• Stick Out Your Tongue Day

Categories: Family days