National Hot Fudge Sundae Day

Taking place during National Ice Cream Month, National Hot Fudge Sundae Day celebrates one of the most popular sundaes. Said to be invented in the early twentieth century at C.C. Brown's Ice Cream Shop in Hollywood, hot fudge sundaes usually are made of vanilla ice cream and hot chocolate fudge, and topped with nuts, sprinkles, whipped cream, and a maraschino cherry.

There are a few stories as to how and where ice cream sundaes got their start. One says they got their start in Two Rivers, Wisconsin, in 1881. There, George Hallauer ordered an ice cream dish at Ed Berner's soda fountain. His dish gained popularity, and other nearby fountains began serving it. It was George Giffy, who owned a fountain in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, who decided to serve it only on Sundays—hence the name it received.

Another story says that in Evanston, Illinois, in the 1890s, moralists were speaking out against drinking soda water on the Sabbath. In response, confectioners decided to create "Sundays," which had ice cream and flavored syrups instead of soda water. Another early name for the dessert was "Soda-less Soda." In order to remove any connection to the Sabbath, "Sundays" eventually became known as "sundaes."

Other cities have claimed to be the originator of the ice cream sundae, including Ann Arbor, Michigan; Ithaca, New York; Norfolk, Virginia; and Washington, D.C. No matter where they were created, they were wildly popular by the turn of the twentieth century, and the hot fudge sundae made its debut shortly after, becoming the favorite sundae of many!

How to Observe National Hot Fudge Sundae Day

Celebrate by enjoying a hot fudge sundae! Make your own with vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, whipped cream, nuts, sprinkles, and a cherry. You could enjoy one with friends or at an ice cream parlor or restaurant. Some other celebration ideas are to try one of the original C.C. Brown's hot fudge sundaes, which are still served at Lawry's the Prime Rib, purchase some of the original hot fudge sauce at Lawry's, or to travel to the spot where C.C. Brown's once stood.

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