Jul 19th “NATIONAL LOLLIPOP DAY”

NATIONAL LOLLIPOP DAY – July 20

July 20th recognizes National Lollipop Day as a way to celebrate this enduring and ever-popular treat. Pick up your favorite flavor to savor!

Ever delightful and sweet, lollipops have been satisfying the sweet tooth for generations and possibly for centuries. How long lollipops have existed is uncertain. During prehistoric times, a form of lollipop may have preserved nuts and berries in honey. As sugar became plentiful, lollipops appeared much later in 16th century Europe.

In the United States, confectionaries and medicine shops as early as the 1860s sold lollipops in various forms. However, George Smith gave lollipops an official 20th-century story in 1908. He gets credit for inventing the modern style lollipop. In 1931, Smith trademarked the name which he claims came from his favorite racing horse, Lolly Pops.

Lollipops range in size. The smaller lollipops can be purchased by the bagful. Banks, barbershops and vendors at parades give these away to customers and more! Confections make large lollipops in a variety of bright colors, shapes, and sizes. While they are attractive, these lollipops can be cumbersome and often are more than we can handle!

Lollipops in Pop Culture

1934 – In the movie Bright Eyes, Shirley Temple sang the song “On the Good Ship Lollipop.”

1939 – The Wizard of Oz brought us a world of characters, including the Lollipop Guild. Armed with a giant spiral sucker, The Lollipop Guild welcomed Dorothy to the Land of Oz.

1969 – How many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop. The Tootsie Pop (the trademark name for Tootsie Roll’s lollipop) commercial debuted on U.S. television. The 60-second advertisement included a boy, cow, fox, turtle, owl and the narrator.

1973-1978 -The lollipop-loving detective, Kojak, from the TV series of the same name, softened the tough guy while at the same time, toughened up the lollipop.