Assorted candies. Shirley Hirst / Pixabay.com / 2008 / CC0 1.0
The 4th of November is Candy Day.
Observing today can provide a nice pick-me-up for a very grey, damp time of year in the Northern Hemisphere by celebrating the bright colours, sweet tastes and appealing textures of candy.
Some people tout it as a day on which to finish eating up all the Hallowe’en candy, whether you got it from trick or treating, or had it leftover from what you were shelling out. Many people, though, deliberately buy extra shelling-out candy on purpose, so that they’ll have leftovers to last them for the rest of the fall, and they like to pace themselves with maybe one small chocolate bar or candy a day as a treat.
But if Hallowe’en passed you by without any treats landing in your hands, today’s the day to set that right.
Some big candy manufacturers may offer free shipping today for online orders.
Candy used to be a rare treat, and often, it was homemade. In Quebec, a popular candy, maple syrup taffy, was only available for a few brief weeks early each spring while the sap was starting to run.
Initially, candy was even thought to be medicinal, because people thought sugar was good for you.
Do you prefer soft candies or hard candies? Crunchy or chewable? What is your favourite childhood memory of candy?
#CandyDay #NationalCandyDay
See also: Candy, Milton S. Hershey, John Cadbury
Activities for today
- Make some homemade candy at home, maybe from a favourite old family recipe;
- look for discounts, special offers, and promotions;
- make a candy pizza to share with family, friends, neighbours, or co-workers;
- start stocking up on Christmas candy before your favourites are all gone from the shelves.
History
In 1916, the National Confectioner’s Association of the United States voted to designate the second Saturday of October as “National Candy Day”:
“Detroit, Michigan: May 13. Louis Kuhn of Milwaukee was elected president of the National Confectioner’s Association at the concluding session of the thirty-second annual convention here yesterday. Before adjourning the convention designated the second Saturday in October of each year as “National Candy Day.” — Now “Candy Day” for U.S. St. Joseph, Missouri: St. Joseph News-Press. Saturday, 13 May 1916. Page 1, col. 6.
This is Candy Day. Topeka, Kansas: The Topeka State Journal. Saturday, 14 October 1916. Page 1, col. 6.
Mention of it in October continues routinely in print media up until the early 2000s.
The first print mention of a Candy Day falling on the 4th of November that CooksInfo is aware of dates from 2004:
“Today is: National Candy Day.” — Classifieds Section. Alexandria, Louisiana: The Town Talk. Thursday, 4 November 2004. Page E1, col. 4
The same notice appeared on the same day in the same format in at least eight other of what appear to be part of a syndicated chain of newspapers from Florida to Michigan.
Sources
Mackie, George. Some Sweet Facts You Should Know About National Candy Day. Washington, DC: Washington News Day. 4 November 2021. Accessed November 2021 at https://washingtonnewsday.com/news/some-sweet-facts-you-should-know-about-national-candy-day/
November 4 is National Candy Day. Spartanburg, South Carolina: WSPA-TV. 4 November 2019. Accessed October 2021 at https://www.wspa.com/news/national-candy-day/
Lecky, Ryan. How sweet is this? It’s National Candy Day. Throop, Pennsylvania: WNEP TV. 4 November 2021. Accessed November 2021 at https://www.wnep.com/article/entertainment/television/leckey-live/national-candy-day-gertrude-hawk-chocolates-charity-foundation/523-6a34284d-55c9-457e-88ac-da534afa127c
Lees, Eleanor. National Candy Day 2021: The Best Deals and Offers For Sweet-Toothed Fiends. News Week Magazine. 4 November 2021. Accessed November 2021 at https://www.newsweek.com/national-candy-day-deals-offers-2021-1645991
Romano, Brittany. It’s National Candy Day: Here are 7 sweet places to order candy online. USA Today. 4 November 2021. Accessed November 2021 at https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/reviewed/2021/11/04/national-candy-day-best-places-order-candy-online/6267135001/
Suresh, Meera. National Candy Day: Some Sweet Facts You Should Know. New York, New York: International Business Times. 4 November 2021. Accessed November 2021 at https://www.ibtimes.com/national-candy-day-some-sweet-facts-you-should-know-3331149