In honor of the endearingly unnecessary holiday National Hug Day — which is a real thing — and the coincidental fact that it falls this year on President Obama's second inauguration, we present 13 images of people — famous and not, Republican and Democrat, young and old — getting hugged by the president. Enjoy:
President Obama hugs former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) on Jan. 24, 2012, when she returned to the floor of the House of Representatives for the first time since her near-fatal shooting in 2011. (CC BY: The White House)
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Retiring White House butler James Ramsey embraces President Obama during Ramsey's farewell party on Jan. 25, 2010. (CC BY: The White House)
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After this bro-tastic hug on Sept. 8, 2012, is it any wonder that Republican Charlie Crist made the jump to the Democratic Party three months later? (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
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President Obama got an emotional cuddle with a fellow patron when he stopped for a bite to eat at Duff's Famous Wings in Cheektowaga, N.Y., on May 13, 2010. (CC BY: The White House)
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George W. Bush passes the torch to his successor with a hug on Jan. 20, 2009. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
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Sept. 19, 2011, after the president gave a speech on the deficit. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
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Come for the medal, stay for the hug: Actor Sidney Poitier during the Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony at the White House on Aug. 12, 2009. (CC BY: The White House)
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Despite the ogling crowd, President Obama and political aide Phil Schiliro share an intimate moment at a reception at the White House on March 22, 2010. (CC BY: The White House)
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A little girl makes a jump for the president's legs as he pats her on the back in return during a meet-and-greet for wounded warriors and their families on July 5, 2011. (CC BY: The White House)
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Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg receives a hearty hug from the president before his State of the Union address on Jan. 25, 2011. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
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President Obama and Bill Clinton share a cozy moment during the Democratic National Convention on Sept. 5, 2012. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
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A soldier gleefully hugs the president as he greets forces at Bagram Air Field in Afghanistan on May 1, 2012. (CC BY: The White House)