History of Hug a Bear Day
The origins of Hug a Bear Day are unknown. But the 1560s verb ‘to hug’ was derived from the Old Norse term ‘hugga,’ which meant ‘to soothe.’ The phrase is also said to be related to the German word ‘hegen,’ which means ‘to cherish.’ ‘To enclose with a hedge’ was the original meaning. The teddy bear plushie is also a part of National Hug a Bear Day. The ancient Egyptians are credited with the invention of soft toys.
Although no stuffed toys have been discovered in Egypt, drawings on monuments imply they did have animal toys. Stuffed animals as we know them today were first introduced in 1830, although they were created by hand, out of cloth and straw. In 1880, Germany began producing stuffed animals that were very similar to the cute toys that we still buy today.
In the early 20th century, the toy industry grew tremendously. Richard Steiff created a soft stuffed bear in 1903 that was unlike any other rag doll before it, being composed of fluffy furlike cloth. Morris Michtom, inspired by a drawing of President “Teddy” Roosevelt with a bear cub, produced the first teddy bear at the same time in the United States.
