PHOTO: Cuddleparty.com

By Caitlin Johnson

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Cuddle Party usually begins with about 20 strangers sitting nervously in the “welcome circle,” waiting for their moment to explain why they want to cuddle with people they don’t know.

It usually ends with those same 20 strangers in a “puppy pile” laughing and chatting happily---completely at ease.

That is just the way co-founders, Reid Mihalko and Marcia Kaczynski planned it.Their theory is that if a safe space for affection is created, adults will jump at the chance to partake in the cuddling revelry.

“You give kids a playground, they’ll play,” said the handsome Mihalko who looks like he just walked off a Santa Monica beach. “We know how to cuddle, but we can’t and that’s bull.”

PHOTO: Cuddleparty.com

Reid Mihalko thought of the Cuddle Party over a year ago. He was so nervous about the concept, he waited two days to tell his friends and family. The Cuddle Party has since spread to California and Alabama and about 90 parties have been held.

THE CUDDLE PARTY RULES from cuddleparty.com

1. Pajamas stay on the whole time.
2. No SEX. (Yep, you read that right.)
3. Ask for permission to kiss or nuzzle anyone. Make sure you can handle getting a no before you invite or request anyone to cuddle or kiss.
4. If you're a yes, say yes. If you're a no, say no.
5. If you're a maybe, say NO.
6. You are encouraged to change your mind from a yes to a no, no to a yes anytime you want.
7. NO DRY HUMPING!
8. Communicate, communicate, communicate.
9. If you're in a relationship, communicate and set your boundaries and agreements BEFORE you go to the Cuddle Party. Don't re-negotiate those agreements/boundaries during the Cuddle Party. (Trust us on this one.)
10. Get your Cuddle Life Guard On Duty or Cuddle Caddy if there's a concern, problem, or question or should you feel unsafe or need assistance with anything during the Cuddle Party.
11. Crying and giggling are both welcomed and encouraged.
12. Outside of your personal relationships, it's nobody's business who you cuddle, so please be respectful of other people's privacy when sharing with the outside world about Cuddle Parties.
13. Arrive on time.
14. Be hygienically savvy.
15. Clean up after yourself.
16. Always say thank you and practice good Cuddle Manners.

PHOTO: Caitlin Johnson
Lisa, Selene Castrovilla, Mihalko, Justin Cordes, Douglas, and Kaczynski snuggle together on a blanket pile.

Mihalko, who said he learned the art of communication from his laid-back parents and his 15 years as a New York City bartender, said Cuddle Parties are his calling.

He and Baczynski share the cuddle duties. One acts as a “cuddle life guard” and ensures the party never become overly sexualized. If things get out of hand, the party will be stopped by the soothing sound of tiny cymbals. The cuddler’s must find their cuddle
buddy, just like kids do in a swimming pool, “to make sure no one has drowned in sexual energy,” Baczynski said. She assured the cuddlers that the cymbals never had to be used as she outlined the Cuddle Party rules
during the welcome circle.

It's hard to imagine a party getting too sexualized when the partygoers kick off the cuddling on all fours, mooing like cows or meowing like cats. It's a trick Mihalko and Baczynski use to get the cuddlers to huddle together then tip over on their sides, forming one giant circle of spooning people in pajamas.

That is about as raucus as it got. There wereno cymbals at the Feb. 6 Cuddle Party either. It was very mellow and very quiet. People formed groups of two, three or four and snuggled together and shared their stories.

“This is a very typical Cuddle Party,” Mihalko said.

PHOTO: Cuddleparty.com

Marcia Kaczynski graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in public relations. Since then, sex and relationships have been her life. She and Mihalko joined forces to get the Cuddle Party off the ground more than a year ago.
 
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