Craig Baird
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thread 1/9
Why do people in Saskatchewan use the term "bunnyhug" for a hoodie?

It is an odd name, so let's explore its history and why the term is used in Saskatchewan!

First, the bunny hug emerged as a dancing style in the early 20th century.

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10:25 AM - Dec 23, 2023
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Craig Baird
A
thread 2/9
A ragtime dance, its style caused an uproar among "polite society".

In 1912, a song called The Bunny Hug was composed by Harry Von Tilzer and William Jerome. One year later, the film Bunny Dips Into Society featured John Bunny performing the Bunny Hug.

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10:25 AM - Dec 23, 2023
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Craig Baird
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thread 3/9
If the origin of the term for hoodie comes from this dance, no one really knows how that connection was made.

A second theory for the term is that in the 1920s and 1930s, there was a huge population of rabbits in Saskatchewan.

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10:25 AM - Dec 23, 2023
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Craig Baird
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thread 4/9
With money tight due to The Great Depression, those rabbits were hunted and their pelts were turned into something resembling the modern hoodie. Therefore, a person was essentially hugged by the hides of bunnies.

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10:25 AM - Dec 23, 2023
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Craig Baird
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thread 5/9
A third theory dates back to the 16th century Europe, long before the province ever existed. Back then, hands could be kept warm using the hide of a bunny. The pelts were sewn with an open end on each side for the hands to go into at the front of the person.

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10:25 AM - Dec 23, 2023
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Craig Baird
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thread 6/9
It is similar to what quarterbacks use to keep their hands warm in football.

As for the hooded sweatshirt, that first began to appear in the 1930s, mostly for children.
In 1940, the New York Daily News advertised a Bunny-hug, but it was a cardigan, rather than a hoodie.

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10:25 AM - Dec 23, 2023
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Craig Baird
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thread 7/9
By the 1960s, the hoodie had expanded to men's wear.

Yet, various names seemed to be used for the hoodie, including Hooded Kangaroo in the 1980s.

Some research states that the term bunnyhug, referring to the hoodie, appeared in Prince Albert, Melfort or Yorkton sometime in the early-1960s.

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10:25 AM - Dec 23, 2023
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Craig Baird
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thread 8/9
10:25 AM - Dec 23, 2023
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Craig Baird
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thread 9/9
If you enjoy my Canadian history content, you can support my work with a donation at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/craigU

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10:25 AM - Dec 23, 2023
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Anneof MyIsland
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In response to Craig Baird.
In Thunder Bay they are called a Kanga.
10:36 AM - Dec 23, 2023
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