Free Hugs in London?

“Sometimes, a hug is all that we need.” 

Over the weekend, I met some of the people doing free hugs in London. I have to say that of all of the events that take place in Trafalgar Square, this is the most curious one.

I had previously read about people giving free hugs around the world and seen some vids, and thought it might be some sort of unreliable, hippy-inherited thing. I mean, why would anyone hug strangers in the street, for free! We all read about rings of child pornography and about rapists. So, we might think that the sheer physical contact with strangers must be something terribly suspicious, as if there was a hidden agenda.

After an enjoyable evening with some very respectable and fun free-huggers, I decided to look a bit deeper into this. It all started some time ago, when Juan Mann went back to an empty home.

We all have been in a situation where we needed a hug. Juan Mann didn´t have anyone who would welcome him back home, and decided to look for some comfort in another way. He wrote `Free Hugs´ on a piece of cardboard, and the idea went global.

I thought at first they might be involved in the so-called Free Hugs Campaign in London. They are not even subscribed to any movement at all. Truth is, that the guys that I met on Saturday do not do it for fun, money or any dodgy idea.  They just liked the idea of making someone else happier for a minute, which makes me regret the connection that I made in the paragraph above.

Have you ever done this or received a free hug?

Take a look at the video below. Music is by the band Sick Puppies.