Cuddle party
{{short description|Event where people cuddle in a group}}
file:CUDDLE PARTY (Creative Commons).jpg
A cuddle party (or a cuddle puddle or snuggle party) is an event designed with the intention of allowing people to experience nonsexual group physical intimacy through cuddling.{{cite magazine |last=Morris |first=Alex |date=25 January 2006 |title=The Cuddle Puddle of Stuyvesant High School |url=http://nymag.com/news/features/15589/ |magazine=New York |access-date=2012-07-05}}{{Failed verification|date=January 2020}}
History
Reid Mihalko[https://web.archive.org/web/20110122060357/washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A40384-2004Aug27?language=printer Washington Post] and Marcia Baczynski,{{cite news|last=Lusher |first=Adam |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1531450/Its-a-tight-squeeze-as-British-reserve-meets-the-cuddle-party.html |title=Telegraph.co.uk |publisher=Telegraph.co.uk |date=2006-10-15 |access-date=2012-07-05}} a pair of self-described "relationship coaches" in New York City, founded Cuddle Party in New York on February 29, 2004. According to their website, the events were initially created for friends who were too intimidated to attend Mihalko's informal massage workshops. Upon publication of the Cuddle Party website, the events were opened to the general public, and, thanks to a swarm of media attention, became a phenomenon in New York.{{cite web|url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20145571,00.html |title=People |publisher=People |date=2004-09-27 |access-date=2012-07-05}}{{cite web|last=Klonick |first=Kate |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=2690511&page=1 |title=ABC News |publisher=Abcnews.go.com |date=2006-11-30 |access-date=2012-07-05}}[http://www.observer.com/node/49525 New York Observer] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091011110421/http://www.observer.com/node/49525 |date=October 11, 2009 }}{{cite web|url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/living/2002025448_cuddleside05.html |title=Seattle Times |publisher=Seattletimes.nwsource.com |date=2004-09-05 |access-date=2012-07-05}}
In order to meet the demand for Cuddle Parties in other cities, Mihalko and Baczynski began a training and certification program in January 2005, and have since trained a number of individuals to facilitate Cuddle Parties in various cities.{{cite web |last=Kramer |first=Rachel |url=http://gothamist.com/2005/12/23/marcia_baczynsk.php |title=Gothamist |publisher=Gothamist |date=2005-12-23 |access-date=2012-07-05 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120202110356/http://gothamist.com/2005/12/23/marcia_baczynsk.php |archive-date=2012-02-02 }}[http://www.dailycal.org/article/20166/a_real_good_feel_good_time Dailycal.org] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090331163345/http://www.dailycal.org/article/20166/a_real_good_feel_good_time |date=March 31, 2009 }}