Source: Thomas Gerczack / EyeEm / Getty
Via | MentalFloss.com
10 Saccharine Facts About Sweetest Day
Unless you live in certain parts of the United States, there’s a good chance you’ve never heard of Sweetest Day. For others, however, it’s a century-old celebration. Here’s what you need to know about the semi-obscure holiday.
1. THERE’S A REASON IT’S THE THIRD SATURDAY IN OCTOBER.
When the holiday was founded in 1916, trick-or-treating hadn’t become popular yet, so though Halloween existed, there was no autumn boost to the candy industry like there is now. That’s why the National Confectioners Association invented a mid-season marketing gimmick to help increase sales before Christmas. Naturally, they tried to spin it otherwise, writing that the spirit of the day should be “interpreted as a spirit of good will, appreciation, and good fellowship.”
2. IT WAS ORIGINALLY KNOWN AS “CANDY DAY.”
Though the National Confectioners Association wanted the celebration to appear as if it was about more than just candy sales, the name they gave the holiday belied their efforts. It didn’t become the slightly more subtle “Sweetest Day” until the 1920s.
3. HERBERT HOOVER WAS NOT PLEASED ABOUT IT.
Finish this story [here]
