The island of Rodos (Rhodes) today launched a campaign to help brighten up the long dark UK winter by giving out hugs and kisses. 

The Sunkissed by Rodos campaign will see a team of ‘sunkissers’ take to the streets offering sunny embraces to passers by on the darkest and most depressing days of the year. It also features a social media campaign and video to encourage the UK public to help ‘spread the sun’.

On Friday 21st December, the darkest day of the year, and ‘Blue Monday’ on 21st of January, when most Brits apparently feel down in the dumps, the sunkissers will set to work hugging and kissing pedestrians all across London and encouraging them to help ‘spread the sun’ themselves.

Rodos has strong mythical connections with the sun. Legend has it that when the island rose from the sea it was bathed in light by Helios, the god of the sun, who made it the most beautiful spot in the Aegean Sea. It enjoys 320 days of sun per year, making it one of Europe’s sunniest destinations.

Following the wettest UK summer in 100 years, Rodos has decided to share some of its god given rays.

Babis Palogiannidis, General Manager of the Rodos Tourism Promotion Organisation, said: “It’s no secret that it’s been a particularly wet summer for the UK. So we thought it would be a great time to spread a little sunshine and happiness from Rodos, and what better way than through hugs and kisses. Sadly we can’t actually bring the sun, but everybody loves a hug, and we hope that we can help put a smile on people’s faces at a dark and cold time of the year.” 

A dedicated Facebook page (Facebook/Rodosisland) has also been set up to help the UK spread the sun via social media. The page features a game where participants can drag the sun over from Rodos to the UK, brightening up the country city by city. The game will conclude on the 1st of March and the winners of two sundrenched trips for two to Rodos, courtesy of easyJet and the Rodos Hotel Association, will be announced on the first day of spring. Play the game here: www.facebook.com/Rodosisland

A video of the sunkissers arriving in London can be viewed on Youtube here.

Rodos has long been a favourite vacation spot for Brits, drawn to the island by the irresistible combination of thousands of years of history, 120km of Europe’s most beautiful beaches and of course an endless supply of sunshine!