A Bunny Hug History

If you are from Saskatchewan, you know that vico is chocolate milk. You know that ordering a Pil isn’t a shady drug deal. And most importantly, you know the proper name for a hoodie. The term was first used in the late ’70s to refer to the piece of clothing that is a sweater with a hood and an open front pocket/pouch. “Needs a hood to be a bunny-hug. Pretty sure it’s a law,” wrote former premier Brad Wall on Twitter. This term is Saskatchewan born and raised just like us. This is why we decided to name one of our craft prerolls, the bunny hug.

But what makes the bunny hug so special to us?

It’s everything that a Saskatchewanian would want or need. You get the warmth, the hood to protect your head, the pocket for your hands or other stuff. It’s perfect! But why can’t we just call it a hoodie like everyone else? Because we aren’t like everyone else. We are hunters, hikers, cyclists, campers, fishermen, and so much more. We’re enthusiastically outdoorsy and love to be comfy while we explore! We love to enjoy our beautiful province and all it has to offer.

Now, there are a lot of theories about where the term came from. Here are  just a few:

• A hundred years ago, there was a rabbit overpopulation in Saskatchewan, and people decided to turn the pelts of Peter Cottontail into wraps that loosely resembled what is known today as a bunny hug.

• Way back in the 16th century, the muff was designed to keep lady’s hands warm from the cold weather. These muffs were usually made with rabbit fur or other smaller mammals. Muff’s are still in use today, just check out the Roughriders quarterback the next time they are playing in -15 degree weather.

• The name is rooted in dance. The Bunny Hug was a pearl gripping, monocle dropping dance from the early 1900s popularized in Barbary Coast halls. This is no Bunny Hop. The dance was considered scandalous and overtly sexual while the Bunny Hop is similar to a conga line.

Someone was smoking when they drew this.

Who’s to say if we will ever learn the true origins of this unique term. What we do know is that bunny hug is correct and hoodie is wrong.

Now go grab your bunny hug, fill it with more bunny hugs from the Shack and do the bunny hug!