The goal of the holiday (and yes it is an official holiday, there's even a FaceBook group) is to encourage everyone to get out there and hug as many people as possible.

Any and all styles are accepted. The “bro” hug where you maintain some distance and provide a nice open-handed pat on the back; the “cuddle” where you draw that special person close and essentially cuddle up; or of course the “crazed sorority” hug which involves much screeching and jumping; the idea is to show a little love and support for the world at large, writes, Alberto Ramos Cordero of HuliqNews.com.

According to Holiday Insights, National Hugging Day was created in 1986 by Rev. Kevin Zaborney from Carol, Michigan. Zaborney created the day to promote “the emotional benefits of hugging”.

"For human beings, you need two hugs a day to survive, four hugs for maintenance, six hugs to grow," said Virginia Satir, a Wisconsin Marriage and Family Therapist.

"National Hug Day is a different form of sharing. We've got more than our quota of whiners and far too few huggers these days. That's what National Hugging Day is all about," writes Saginaw News columnist, Chris Thompson.

So get out there and share some hugs!