Need a Reason to Celebrate in 2020? Sweetest Day is the Best Holiday You’ve (Probably) Never Heard of

Everyone deserves a break after surviving the first three quarters of 2020 and we cannot think of better way to celebrate than donning our fanciest mask and enjoying Sweetest Day on Saturday, October 17.

If you are unfamiliar with Sweetest Day, you’re missing out one on of the best reasons we can think of to celebrate right now. Unlike holidays such as Christmas or Valentine's Day, Sweetest Day does not have a religious affiliation.

It actually stemmed from a clever candy company employee named Herbert Kingston who promoted a holiday called Candy Day as a chance to bring happiness to those in society who were often forgotten.

He enlisted the help of several friends, and together they distributed over 20,000 boxes of candy to "newsboys, orphans, old folks, and the poor" in Cleveland, Ohio.

The Sweetest Day in the Year Committee was assisted in the distribution of candy by some of the biggest movie stars of the day including Theda Bara and Ann Pennington.

The idea began in Cleveland in 1922 and quickly spread through the Great Lakes areas and portions of the Upper Midwest. Newspapers and advertisements began referring to Candy Day as the "Sweetest Day of the Year."

That fairytale, however, was completely untrue. Candy Day was in fact established for the sole purpose of selling more candy, and Kingston was actually an advertiser. But by the time that was discovered, Candy Day had already been proven to be a big hit!

The cities of Detroit, Cleveland and Buffalo are among the biggest Sweetest Day celebrators according to Retail Confectioners International, a trade association comprised of chocolate and candy makers, some of its members report that Sweetest Day candy sales are bigger than those for Mother’s Day. 

Despite Sweetest Day’s questionable origins, the tradition stuck, and now Sweetest Day serves as a reminder to give back and take care of those who need extra attention.

it has truly become a reason to celebrate in several parts of the country who view it as similar to Valentine’s Day, although sometimes on a smaller scale without all the pageantry and romance involved.

Primarily a regional observance celebrated in the Great Lakes region and the Northeast, Sweetest Day is spreading to other areas of the country. People tend to take the Sweetest Day tradition with them when they move. Ohio is the top state for Sweetest Day sales, followed by Michigan and Illinois. Texas, California, and Florida are among the top 10 states in sales.

One reason why is that there seems to be less pressure tied to Sweetest Day, as it focuses on the actual thoughts behind the actions. It also occurs during the fall season, everyone’s favorite time of the year.

Now, the point of the day is to show friends, family and even strangers that you care by gifting them a note, a small treat, or any other act of kindness. We recommend flowers!

From Birthdays to Anniversaries to New Babies, Sympathy, and Get Well Soon flowers, Ballard Blossom has you covered. We offer same-day delivery to Seattle, WA and surrounding areas as well as anywhere else in the US.