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National Ice Cream Sandwich Day

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national ice cream sandwich day

Jersey Shore circa 1905

Today is National Ice Cream Sandwich Day.

According to Geraldine Quinzio, author of Sugar and Snow: A History of Ice Cream Making, the ice cream sandwich was invented in 1899 by a pushcart peddler in New York City. It consisted of vanilla ice cream pressed between two thin graham crackers.

In July of 1900, The New York Tribune reported that the vendor was so busy making the sandwiches that he didn’t have time to make change and required all customers to pay exactly one penny.

The photograph you see here was taken at the New Jersey shore in 1905  and shows a popular pushcart on the beach. Supposedly, the modern iteration of the sandwich using rectangular chocolate cookies was created in 1945 by Jerry Newberg, who sold them at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, PA.

Here are a few of the “fun facts” quoted everywhere from blogs to news outlets today:

  • It’s estimated that 48 ice cream sandwiches are consumed per second in the United States.
  • If all the ice cream sandwiches made during the year were placed end to end, they would circle the globe 3 1/2 times.
  • Almost 50 percent of all ice cream sandwiches are consumed by residents of states on the Eastern seaboard.

We don’t know this trivia’s original source, but we’ve tracked it back to a newspaper article dated December 21, 1995. We hope someone will freshen up those stale statistics. Inquiring minds want to know how many times ice cream sandwiches would wrap around the planet now.

Other versions of the ice cream sandwich have been created all over the world, many predating the American kind. We’ll leave that debate to the food historians.

Happy National Ice Cream Sandwich Day!

National Lollipop Day

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national lollipop dayToday is National Lollipop Day! Early incarnations of the lollipop date back thousands of years. Archaeologists* have found evidence that ancient Egyptians used honey to preserve fruit, then inserted sticks to make it easier to eat.

New Haven, CT, confectioner George Smith claimed he got the idea for the lollipop from the stirrers he used when mixing sweets. They became coated with candy, and Smith often took them home as a treat for his children.

Smith trademarked the name in 1931, stating that it was inspired by a famous racehorse called Lolly Pop. Many linguists contend it is derived from Northern English slang: “lolly” (tongue) and “pop” (slap).

You can whip up a batch using only four ingredients: sugar, water, corn syrup, and the flavoring of your choice. And the stick, of course.

Happy National Lollipop Day!

*For word nerds (like me) who wonder about the difference between “archaeologist” and “archeologist.”

National Hot Dog Day

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national hot dog dayToday is National Hot Dog Day, according to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (NHDSC), an august body created by the North American Meat Institute, which has declared July to be National Hot Dog Month.

The NHDSC serves as a clearinghouse of information about the preparation and nutritional quality of hot dogs and sausages, funded by contributions from manufacturers and their suppliers.

National Hot Dog Day was established in 1991 to coincide with the annual Capitol Hill Hot Dog Lunch in Washington, DC. As a result, the holiday’s date is dictated by the congressional calendar and falls on the third Wednesday in July.

Here are a few stats:

  • In 2024, 896 million pounds of hot dogs were sold at retail stores. That number represents more than $3 billion in retail sales.
  • Ten percent of annual retail hot dog sales occur during July, which is why it is designated as National Hot Dog Month.
  • Hot dog producers estimate that an average of 38 percent or $1.16 billion of the total number of hot dogs are sold from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
  • The NHDSC predicts that major league ballparks will sell 20 million hot dogs during baseball season this year.
  • According to sales data for 2024, New Yorkers spent more money on hot dogs in retail stores ($111.7 million) than any other market in the country. Residents of Los Angeles came in second, spending $90.6 million on hot dogs.

If you’re curious, NHDSC has a video showing how hot dogs are made. We can’t say whether it will make you more or less hungry for a hot dog. Results may vary.

Have a happy National Hot Dog Day!

National Personal Chef Day

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national personal chef dayToday is National Personal Chef Day, created by the United States Personal Chef Association (USPCA) to recognize the hard work and dedication of personal chefs across the country.

A private chef works exclusively for one client, sometimes living in the home. A personal chef can be hired by as many clients as his or her schedule allows.

They do more than just cook for dinner parties. They plan menus, shop for groceries, give cooking classes, and prepare meals for a variety of people, including working couples, families, seniors, and those with food allergies or dietary restrictions.

If you want to outsource your food prep chores and can afford it, use a member of the USPCA. If you don’t and/or can’t, we highly recommend our guy: Chef Boyardee.