National Hug and High Five Day

Following 9/11, when one of his close friends, Kevin Bowser, died at the World Trade Center, David Hale Sylvester—who goes as "Big Dave"—began traveling the world and giving out high fives and hugs, the only thing that gave him any solace after that senseless attack. After twenty years of regularly biking across continents and making stops in 50 states and 42 countries, by his count, he'd given out more than a half million hugs. Through it all—after even stopping in Orlando and Las Vegas following the 2016 Pulse nightclub and 2017 Las Vegas shootings—David Sylvester found a world of goodness.

For the twentieth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Sylvester had planned to travel to every nation that a victim of the attacks had been from and to give out hugs to whoever wanted them. Although the COVID-19 pandemic derailed his plans, he did manage to commence a mission in November 2020 to travel the United States and do one good deed in each state, which included acts like buying pizza for COVID-19 units. It was around this time that he came up with the idea for National Hug and High Five Day—or National Hug and High5 Day, as he writes it—and the holiday was first celebrated on September 12, 2021. "I chose September 12 because it is after a tragedy when we all appreciate a warm and supportive hug and appreciate the uplifting power of a high5," he said.

How to Observe National Hug and High Five Day

Celebrate by giving hugs and high-fives to friends and family members. You could also ask strangers if they'd like a hug and a high five. Learning more about David Hale Sylvester and his efforts to give hugs and high-fives to the world is another great way to take part in the day. You could hire him to speak at an event, and then share a hug and a high five with him. You could also read one of his books: Traveling at the Speed of Life and One Hug at a Time: 99 Stories From the Man Who Embraced the World.

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