Sweetest Day is celebrated every year on the third Saturday of October, this year falling on Oct. 19.
Not everyone celebrates Sweetest Day, but it is a prominent holiday in Ohio because it was born in Cleveland.
According to Ohio Memory, the predecessor of Sweetest Day, “Candy Day”, was created by the National Confectioners Association in 1916. Candy Day, nicknamed “The Sweetest Day in the Year”, was only celebrated for one year because of the efforts to conserve sugar during World War I.
The holiday was revived and reimagined in 1921 when Herbert Birch Kingston, an advertising executive in Cleveland, decided to twist Candy Day into a sweet celebration encouraging people to be kind to others by giving out treats.
Eight candy makers from the Cleveland area created a committee to enact the celebration and the first Sweetest Day was held on Oct. 8, 1921.
According to Ohio Memory, 10,000 boxes of candy were passed out on the first Sweetest Day to orphanages, senior citizen homes and other in-need organizations. Silent film stars Theda Bara and Ann Pennington even came to Cleveland to pass out treats at theaters.
The holiday has now evolved into people gifting their friends and families something to show their appreciation for them, whether it’s candy or something else.
According to National Today, 80% of Sweetest Day cards given are geared towards romantic interest, showing how the holiday has evolved. The holiday is mainly observed in the midwest, with Ohio, the birthplace of the holiday, being the state with the highest participation.
Gifts for Sweetest Day
We have a variety of options to help you show your appreciation for your loved ones on Sweetest Day.
Here’s our Sweetest Day Gift Guide:
Candy:
- Tootsie Pop Flowers Pot
- Chocolate & Mug Gift Set
- Waggoners Boxed Chocolate, ½ LB or 1 LB
- Waggoner Buckeye Box 4.15 OZ
- Asher Milk Chocolate Pretzels
- Delightfully Dainty Swizzle Berries
Flowers:
Other Options:
- Wood Floral Frame – Love (Pro Tip – print out a picture and put it in the frame before gifting)
- Love Always Suncatcher
- Dear You Bracelet – My Love
- Jolie Cream Bear “I Love You”
- With Love Willow Tree
However you are celebrating Sweetest Day, we at Connells Maple Lee hope you are surrounded by love.