Welcome to our series sharing Food Holidays: July 20th, 2022. Today is National Lollipop Day and even though I don’t think of Dum Dum’s as a Lollipop I know if Charlie had knew what today was he would have wanted to go get one or two. While I would prefer a old fashioned Sucker. What about you. What kind of Lollipop would you want and why?
Without a doubt, National Lollipop Day on July 20 is a holiday that anyone of all ages can celebrate. We’re looking at you, grandparents as you can relive childhood memories! Did you know people in the Midwest call Lollipops Suckers which go by other names as well including Lolly, or Sticky Pop. Lollipops come in many flavors but mostly Fruit flavors for licking or biting. Lollipops are made of flavored Sucrose, Water, and Corn Syrup that are hardened on a stick
HISTORY OF NATIONAL LOLLIPOP DAY
Lollipops have been around in some form or another always or so it seems. Including prehistoric times, when Cavemen would collect Honey from Beehives using a stick. The sweet Nectar was licked off the stick, becoming the world’s first Lollipops in theory, at least. In Ancient Chinese, Egyptians, and Arabs also ‘Candied’ Fruit and Nuts by glazing them with Honey and inserting sticks into the confection for easier eating.
With the surplus of Sugar in the 17th Century, the English started the trend of preparing boiled Sugar Candy and, of course, they too inserted sticks into the treats. Did you know in Northern England, the word for ‘tongue’ is ‘lolly’ and pop means ‘slap’ so ‘lolly pop’ means ‘tongue slap.’ The term probably got popularized by Street Vendors in London.
In the 18th Century, it seems like there was almost a clamor to create refined versions of the modern Lollipop. In 1905, the McAviney Candy Company was producing boiled hard Candies, the mixture of which was stirred using a stick. By the end of the day, the owner would take home sticks covered with hardened Candy for his children to enjoy. Later on, in 1908, the owner marketed these ‘Candy sticks.’ But it is George Smith, owner of the confectionery company Bradley Smith Company, who is credited for creating the modern Lollipop we all enjoy today. The owner started making them in 1908 and trademarked the word ‘Lollipop’ in 1931. Lollipops were also referred to as ‘Dum Dum Suckers’ to appeal to kids.
The first automated production of Lollipops also started in 1908 in Wisconsin, U.S.A. The Racine Confectioners Machinery Company built a machine that attached hard Candy on the end of sticks at 2,400 sticks per hour. Russian immigrant Samuel Born also invented a machine that did the same thing, in 1916. His machine was called the ‘Born Sucker Machine’ and was so well-received that San Francisco awarded Born the ‘key to the City’ that year. There are over 100 varieties of Lollipops available today in all shapes and sizes.
NATIONAL LOLLIPOP DAY BY THE NUMBERS
16 million – is the number of Lollipops produced per day by Tootsie Roll.
7,000 pounds – was the weight of the world’s largest Lollipop created by See’s Candies.
12 foot – is the height of the stick on which the world’s largest Lollipop was mounted.
40 – the number of Lollipops produced by the Lollipop-making machine in 1908.
26 – is the number of calories in a 14-gram Lollipop.
1958 – was the year when the first song about Lollipops was released by The Chordettes.
1780s – is the period in which the word Lollipop was used for the first time.
12,831 – is the record for the longest chain of people licking Lollipops!
National Lollipop Day on July 20th celebrates the hard Candy were suckers for!
On National Lollipop Day, all of us sing ‘Lollipop, lollipop, ooh lolly lolly!’ Customize your own bag of Lollipops, and share the creation with your family.
Exercise the muscles of your mouth by sucking on your favorite Lollipop!
Yum Earth Organic Lollipops, Dum Dums Original Pops, and Tootsie Roll Charms Mini Pops are some of the most popular Lollipops today.
NATIONAL LOLLIPOP DAY ACTIVITIES
- Purchase one or two Lollipops for yourself today and you will feel like a little kid with a Sucker in your mouth.
- What’s better than having a Lollipop on your own? Sharing Lollipops with friends!
- Count how many licks you take on a Tootsie Pop to reach the Tootsie Roll center. Purdue University, the University of Michigan, and Swarthmore Junior High School have conducted studies on this very project and each has reached a different answer.
NATIONAL LOLLIPOP DAY TRADITIONS
Whether you want a Tootsie Pop, or a Cola-flavored Lollipop, take your pick of your favorite ‘tongue slap’ and give your mouth some good exercise. Kids especially enjoy National Lollipop Day, with store displays featuring colorful Lollipops in different shapes and sizes.
Pop culture has many catchy songs based on Lollipops including ‘The Lollipop Song’ by The Chordettes which is a perfect anthem for the holiday!
Now that you have been enlightened about the history of Lollipops, give your family a lesson on ‘tongue slaps.’ Conclude with the motto that, if everything else fails, put a stick in it.
WHY WE LOVE NATIONAL LOLLIPOP DAY
- Lollipops come in many shapes and sizes and popular brands are Dum Dums, Saf-T-Pops, Charms, Tootsie Roll Pops, and Tootsie Pops. It’s impossible to pick a favorite. Sugar Daddy is America’s oldest and most popular Milk Caramel Lollipop.
- Lollipops remind older adults of Theo Kojak, a hard-nosed New York City detective, who always put a Lollipop, specifically a Tootsie Pop, in his mouth. The “Kojak” television series ran from 1973-1978. Kojak’s catchphrase of “Who loves ya, baby?” can be heard in many places worldwide.
- Shirley Temple sang “On the Good Ship Lollipop” in the 1934 movie “Bright Eyes.” The “Wizard of Oz” introduced the Lollipop Guild that welcomed Dorothy to the Land of Oz with a giant spiral Sucker. Artists celebrate this holiday as well. As far back as 1855 James Campbell painted “The Lollipop.” Louis-Nicholas Darbon of the United Kingdom painted “The Girl With the Lollipop.”
Fortune Cookie Day
WHY PEOPLE LOVE NATIONAL FORTUNE COOKIE DAY
- What better way to bond than to talk as the aroma of freshly baked Fortune Cookies wafts through the air? Recruit family to assist you in making Fortune Cookies, hen sit back and enjoy all of the laughing that takes place.
- Nothing draws us closer together than baked food. Whether you baked Fortune Cookies yourself or not, it’s wonderful to see the person you pass Fortune Cookies off to smile.
- Fortune Cookies generally contain an appropriately vague clairvoyant message within, which usually promises the receiver good health, luck, or riches. It’s always wonderful to be assured of good things to come.
NATIONAL FORTUNE COOKIE DAY ACTIVITIES
- Making Fortune Cookies at home may be enjoyable not only for people who appreciate baking but also for those who enjoy calligraphy and creating unique messages for friends and family!
- The most apparent way to commemorate the holiday is to treat yourself to a nice Chinese lunch, with a platter of Fortune Cookies. Of course, eating at American-Chinese restaurants is not a custom that originated in China but it is a tradition nevertheless.
- Why not purchase Fortune Cookies as a fun party favor for friends? Or, for a refreshing change of pace, make a new neighbor a friend by showing up at their door with a basket full of Fortune Cookies.
5 FUN FACTS ABOUT FORTUNE COOKIES
- According to historical sources, the original Fortune Cookie was developed in Japan.
- As you might assume, the first Fortune Cookie was not like the ones we see today, the Fortune Cookie was originally produced using Sesame Oil, and it was browner and larger than the present version.
- The key four components of Fortune Cookies are Flour, Sugar, Vanilla Extract, and Oil is no surprise, given how delicious Fortune Cookies are.
- Every day, nearly four million Fortune Cookies are produced and each of those Biscuits contains its own fortune.
- Brooklyn-based Wonton Food is the world’s largest producer of Fortune Cookies and messages had 15,000 fortunes.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
