Without a doubt, National Lollipop Day on July 20 is a day that children of all ages can celebrate. We’re looking at you, grandparents — relive some childhood memories! People in the Midwest call lollipops suckers but they go by other names as well — lolly, or sticky pop. They 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.
National Lollipop Day timeline
- 1931
Pop Patent
George Smith, who says he invented the idea of putting candy on a stick, patents the term "lollipop" (though it's now in the public domain)
- 1908
The Industrial Pop-alution
The Racine Confectionery Machine Company invents a machine that can produce 2,400 pop per minute
- 17th Century
English Suckers
The English put sticks in boiled sugar candies to make them easier to eat
- Ancient Times
Honey Sticks
Ancient peoples across the world ate honey off of sticks, the earliest precursors to lollipops
5 Tasty Facts About Dum Dums
12 Million
Today there are 12 million Dum Dums made per day
North American Specialty
Dum Dums are sold mainly in the U.S., but also some in Mexico, Canada, and a few other countries.
What's in a Name
Dum Dums got their name because the sales manager decided it was a word any kid could say
GF
Dum Dums are gluten free
It's a Mystery
The famed Mystery Flavor is a mixture of the two flavors that come together between batches on the machine
National Lollipop Day Activities
Buy yourself a pop
Buy one or two lollipops for yourself today. You'll feel like a little kid with a sucker in your mouth, and the sweet taste will make you smile.
Share some pops
What's better than having a lollipop on your own? Sharing lollipops with friends! Buy a bag of lollipops to share with friends all day, and if you're feeling especially generous, you can share them with strangers, too!
Do some science
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. The world may never know the true answer.
Why We Love National Lollipop Day
Lollipops come in many shapes and sizes
Popular brands are Dum Dums, Saf-T-Pops, Charms, Tootsie Roll Pops, and Tootsie Pops. Oh, it’s impossible to pick a favorite. Sugar Daddy is America’s oldest and most popular milk caramel lollipop.
They make us nostalgic
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.
They're famous
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 day 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.”
Also on Sat Jul 20, 2024...
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