Hug an Economist Day
Economists' Day in the U.S.
Hug an Economist Day is celebrated on January 31st in the United States. It is an unofficial holiday (I mean: not established by law) that apparently is beginning to gain traction among economists in the U.S. On social networks, people usually take it playfully and with a bit of surprise.
This holiday’s origins are not clear. From the scant information on the Internet, it was created by Robert J. Samuelson (b. 1945) in the late 1970s to bring more attention and appreciation to the field of economics, and it started being celebrated and promoted online in 2010. Likely it is true, but contrary to some sources, Samuelson is not an economist but earned his B.A. in political science at Harvard College in 1967. As a well-known journalist and economics writer, Samuelson wrote opinion columns for The Washington Post and Newsweek. In 1998 he was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for his knowledgeable and analytical columns on a wide variety of national subjects. He retired in December 2020.
Hopefully later we can get more details about this holiday’s origins. Meanwhile: have a happy Hug an Economist Day!