Hold My Hand Forever. Will You?

A national survey recently conducted by Forevermark reveals that 94 percent of Americans in a committed relationship believe that the simple act of holding hands regularly makes a relationship stronger.

These recent findings have contributed to the inspiration behind #HOLDMYHANDFOREVER, a social media project celebrating the meaning of holding hands.

Forevermark, the diamond brand from The De Beers Group of Companies, engages couples to share their holding hands moments through social media, brought to life in an all-day event open to the public, taking place Tuesday November 18th, 2014 in NYC.

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The universal gesture of holding hands is an instinctual and powerful way of communicating positive emotion and an intimate promise. The survey explores American sentiment that holding hands gives relationships staying power:

For The Long Haul: Americans who hold hands often (4-7 days per week) believe their relationship will last nearly twice as long as those who hold hands less often (0-3 days per week)

Relationship Satisfaction: 71 percent of Americans who hold hands often say they are completely satisfied with their relationships, compared to just 35 percent of those who hold hands less often.

All You Need Is Love: 76 percent of Americans associate the word love with handholding.

Mood Boost: 96 percent of Americans feel that when their significant other reaches out for their hand, their mood immediately improves. Couples who hold hands more often also laugh more together.

Keep Love Alive: Research shows that Millennial couples are ready to put in the work; the majority polled report they hold hands more now than they did in the beginning of their relationship.

You can follow #HoldMyHandForever to see how couples are expressing their most precious moments. Forevermark will further celebrate the rich, symbolic act of hand holding with a one-day photography exhibition in New York City on Tuesday, November 18, 2014 at Highline Stages, Studio D. The event is open to the public, free of charge, from 10:00am-7:00pm.

#HoldMyHandForever survey was commissioned by Forevermark. It was done by Wakefield Research among 1,000 nationally representative U.S. adults, ages 18+, between October 9th and October 17th, 2014. The survey findings were released Friday, Nov. 14.