Popcorn is the world’s most widely consumed snack and that is exactly the reason why it is also the world’s most celebrated snack and why it has its own popcorn holidays. Understandably, there are plenty of reasons to celebrate popcorn, and establishing popcorn holidays simply to celebrate and commemorate popcorn is exciting. So, what are the different popcorn holidays each year?
The various popcorn holidays celebrated in the US are National Popcorn Day, which is the catch-all popcorn holiday that simply celebrates popcorn, Popcorn Lover’s Day, which is specifically for those who love popcorn, and National Popcorn Popping Month, which is an entire month dedicated to consuming popcorn.
Even though popcorn holidays may sound a bit strange, they are actually a great way to celebrate and thank popcorn for being the great snack that it is. Of course, it also helps if we actually consume popcorn whenever we have such holidays.
Popcorn Holiday #1 – National Popcorn Day
When is National Popcorn Day Celebrated?
National Popcorn Day is celebrated on January 19th of every year since 1988.
Who Created the National Popcorn Day?
The truth is that there is no clear consensus as to who created National Popcorn Day and how it came about. What is clear is that it has been around since 1988 and people all over the world, not just Americans, have been celebrating it ever since.
What is the Purpose National Popcorn Day?
National Popcorn Day is a catch-all holiday when it comes to popcorn because it covers everything there is to celebrate about popcorn, regardless of whether or not you love this snack. It is a day of commemorating and celebrating popcorn from an overall perspective, rather than pinpointing an exact aspect of popcorn to celebrate.
In other words, National Popcorn Day is simply a day to remind people about popcorn so that they will have a reason to celebrate and eat more of it if they want to. It’s the most popularly celebrated popcorn holiday even though its history is a bit obscure and mysterious.
Popcorn Holiday #2 – Popcorn Lover’s Day
When is Popcorn Lovers Day Celebrated?
Popcorn Lover’s Day is celebrated on the second Thursday of March of each year.
Who Created Popcorn Lovers Day?
There is also no clear consensus as to who started Popcorn Lover’s Day, but the most common story is that a man named Bob Matthews, a resident of New Jersey, started the holiday on January 6, 2012.
Bob is a gardener who grows his own popcorn, and he and his wife celebrate Popcorn Lover’s Day on Thursdays, which explains why this holiday is celebrated on a Thursday.
What is the Purpose of Popcorn Lover Day?
Similar to how there is no concrete evidence as to who started this holiday, the purpose of this holiday is also a mystery. However, in comparison with National Popcorn Day, Popcorn Lover’s Day is usually celebrated specifically by those who love popcorn.
So, in a sense, Popcorn Lover’s Day is aimed towards popcorn lovers specifically, rather than celebrating popcorn on a more general level. This means that those who love popcorn are the ones who usually celebrate this popcorn holiday.
Popcorn Holiday #3 – National Popcorn Popping Month
When is National Popcorn Popping Month celebrated?
National Popcorn Popping Month takes place throughout the entire month of October every year.
Who Created National Popcorn Popping Month?
National Popcorn Popping Month was widely celebrated in October for a very long time but it was only in 1999 that it became official. Dan Glickman, who served as the Secretary of Agriculture at the time, officially proclaimed the month of October as National Popcorn Popping Month back in 1999.
So, while it has been around for a long time before the proclamation, National Popcorn Popping Month only attained its official status that year.
What is the purpose of National Popcorn Popping Month?
The purpose of the holiday is to celebrate popcorn and to entice more people to eat it during the month of October. This month was specifically chosen for two main reasons.
First, October was chosen because fall is usually the time when the most popcorn is harvested in the US.
The second reason is that the numbers show that popcorn consumption increases during the fall and winter months due to the fact that more people would rather stay indoors to watch movies while eating popcorn.
As such, October was chosen as National Popcorn Popping Month.
What Are Activities You Can Do To Celebrate Popcorn Holidays?
If you want some ideas of activities you can do to celebrate any of the abovementioned holidays, here are some good ones:
- Watch movies with the family while eating a huge tub of popcorn. Or, better yet, you can each have a tub of popcorn while you are bonding with the entire family. You can even set up a popcorn bar with plenty of different popcorn flavors to choose from.
- Host a movie marathon or a Netflix binge with your friends. Take a projector and set it up in your backyard where you and your friends can binge your favorite movies or television series while eating popcorn popped on the grill together with some barbecue.
- Play some popcorn games with friends or family. A good popcorn game is popcorn basketball, where you flick popcorns into baskets.
- Do some popcorn arts and crafts. Not a lot of people know that the ancient Aztec people used popcorn to make arts and crafts including using the individual kernels as necklaces and even headdresses. You can do the same by making similar arts and crafts together with your family and friends during a popcorn holiday.
- Go on regular movie dates with your significant other during October. Weekly dates to the movies are perfect for bonding as you both try out different flavors of popcorn while enjoying the movie. You can try to cover all the different flavors during the four weekends of October.
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