National Gumdrop Day

National Gumdrop Day is dedicated to a cone-shaped, gelatin-based candy, the gumdrop. They are fruit or spice flavored, and sugar coated. Common flavors include cherry, orange, grape, lemon, clove, cinnamon, mint, and licorice.

It is not exactly known how or when gumdrops were first created, but they were popular by the late 1800s. The name "gum drop" first appeared in print in 1860. Some were soft and pliable and made of gelatin, but some were potato-based and cheaper. By the 1890s, "gumdrop" had become a slang term for a sweetheart.

Modern gumdrops were created by Percy Truesdell in 1915. After experimenting at The Ohio State University, he was able to enhance their texture by making them softer. He became known as "the gumdrop king."

Gumdrops continued to enter the cultural lexicon. In the late 1940s, the board game Candy Land made its debut, and featured the Gumdrop Mountains. In the 1950s, the phrase "Goody gumdrops" was invented. The Apollo 9 Command module was named Gumdrop because of its shape.

How to Observe National Gumdrop Day

Celebrate the day by trying as many flavors of gumdrops as you can! If you have some time you could also make your own. The day could also be celebrated by playing Candy Land, and by saying "goody gumdrops" as much as possible.

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