National Hard Candy Day Date in the current year: December 19, 2024

Hard candy is a type of sugar candy, which is one of the oldest kinds of candy known to humanity. Sugar candy is believed to have originated in ancient India because sugarcane is indigenous to South and Southeast Asia; in other parts of the world, candy was primarily based on honey back in the day.

One sugarcane was domesticated in India, it spread to the Arab world and then to Europe. Before the Industrial Revolution, sugar candies were available only to the upper classes and were often used as a medicine to aid digestion or relieve a sore throat. They were typically made from a combination of sugar and spices such as aniseed, cloves, ginger, and juniper berries.

Today, there are different types of sugar candy. Some are soft like toffee, while others are hard and intended for licking or sucking rather than chewing. Hard candy is made by heating a sugar-based syrup to a temperature of 320 °F (160 °C), pouring it into a tray or mold, and letting it cool.

Once cooled completely, the candy becomes hard and brittle, hence the name. Although hard candies are known as boiled sweets in British English, the term is actually a misnomer because sugar syrup is not heated to a boiling temperature when making this type of candy.

Hard candy is almost 100% sugar by weight, although it may contain a tiny amount of additional ingredients such as flavorings, food colors, or citric acid. While the syrup is still warm, it can be molded, rolled, or folded into various shapes. As a result, hard candy comes in many colors, flavors, and shapes despite containing only one principal ingredient.

Lollipops are arguably the most recognizable type of hard candy. Confections on a stick have been known since the Middle Ages, but the modern lollipop was invented in the United States sometime in the early 20th century.

Another popular type of hard candy is a candy cane. It is a cane-shaped sugar candy that comes in many colors and flavors, but is traditionally white with red stripes and flavored with peppermint. Candy canes are associated with the Christmas holiday season. They have been around for longer than modern lollipops; the first mention of a candy cane dates back to the mid-19th century.

Unfortunately, we don’t know who invented National Hard Candy Day and when exactly it happened, but does it really matter? What matters is that this amazing holiday exists and you can observe it.

There are many ways to celebrate National Hard Candy Day. You can simply enjoy hard candy without feeling too guilty for consuming so much sugar, share your favorite hard candy with your friends, family, neighbors and coworkers, try making your own hard candy, or build a gingerbread house (because Christmas is right around the corner!) and decorate it with hard candy.

And don’t forget to spread the word about the holiday on social media using the hashtags #NationalHardCandyDay and #HardCandyDay to encourage others to join in on the fun and experience a sugar rush.