Candy Month

June is National Candy Month!

That's right, you don't need to wait until Halloween for an excuse to eat a ton of candy! Eat it throughout the month of June. This is a good time to try new things by supporting local candy makers. Make the month educational too by learning how some of your favorite candies are made! 

Treats are a seen as a symbol of happiness and a guilty pleasure and June is the month to officially celebrate all kinds, such as chocolate, candy, gum, and mints. It honors the companies that have been producing these delicious treats for over a hundred years. It also serves to appreciate the workers that make it possible, and to acknowledge the economic impact that the candy and chocolate industry has in America. Treats have transcended into cultural and seasonal traditions. The National Confectioners Association (NCA) are the ones responsible for making National Candy Month possible. The National Confectioners Association takes it upon themselves to go around showing “Random Acts of Sweetness”, around various locations throughout Washington D.C, where they hand out all sorts of treats during the month of June.

Interesting facts

• The word “candy” has been used since the 13th century. Deriving from the Arabic “qandi”, meaning “made of sugar”.
• The candy industry is massive, creating around 55,000 manufacturing jobs in more than 1,000 factories across the country, which generates around 35 billion dollars a year, which includes retail, agriculture and shipping jobs.
• Candy is said to be originated from the Egyptians when they used to combine fruits and nuts with honey; Greeks used honey to make candied fruits and flowers. However, it was the Mayans and Aztecs that used the cocoa bean, making them the lucky first to drink chocolate.

• Chocolate is said to have been a morale booster for army men during War World I. The U.S Army commissioned to make a variety of chocolate between 20 to 40 pounds to give to the soldiers in smaller pieces, which was distributed to soldiers throughout Europe.
• The first chocolate candy bars were made by Joseph Fry in 1847 using bittersweet chocolate.
• Milk chocolate was first introduced in 1875 by Henry Nestle and Daniel Peter.
• Cotton candy, first known as “fairy floss” was created by William Morrison and John C. Wharton when they made the first cotton candy machine.

How to spread awareness

The National Confectioners Association (NCA) uses three hashtags to spread around awareness of National Candy Month: #NationalCandyMonth #Alwaysatreat #Randomactofsweetness