This is another holiday that I had never heard of, before this year, even though it has been in existence since 1921. Created by a group of confectioners in Cleveland, Ohio, the day was designed to increase the sale of sweets on the date originally set aside for Sweetest Day, October 8.
Called the Sweetest Day of the Year Committee, the group of candy makers distributed more than 20,000 boxes of candy to newsboys, orphans, the elderly and the poor on October 8, 1922, aided by several movie stars of that era, including Theda Bara and Ann Pennington. By the 1930’s the Confectioners Association had launched a movement throughout the candy industry to rank Sweetest Day up there with Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Valentine’s Day.
Although the holiday has not become as popular or well known as those other special days, Hallmark and American Greetings both have lines of cards devoted to Sweetest Day, with about 80% of those being romantic in nature. Now the day is always celebrated on the third Saturday of October. It is still a day to share sweets with the sweet people in our lives. This prospect made it a day to celebrate, for me!
Today presented many opportunities to spend time with some of the most important people in my life and partake of several sweet treats, since it is a day to indulge, after all. Grandson Dayan and the Bulldog Marching Band competed in Rogers, AR for their final competition of this semester. I joined Greg, daughter Elissa, her fiancé Josh and grandson Jonathan for a trip to AR to watch the Bulldog Marching Band perform. We began the trip by filling the car up with gas, and small sweet treats from the convenience store. After the band completed their routine we joined Dayan, the band members and family members who had also made the trip for a celebration of the wonderful year that the band has had with…..cake! How appropriate for Sweetest Day. On the way back to Joplin we stopped for an early dinner at Dairy Queen and finished up the meal with mini blizzards.
Back in Joplin I had the brief but sweet opportunity to wave at daughter Adriel as we drove by her house as she was preparing to go to work. I did get to call out, “I love you!” but did not get to share a sweet treat with her. After dropping Elissa and her family at their car, Greg accompanied me to son Nate’s house to pick up granddaughter Aubrey. Nate and Megan had friends over this evening and I got to have Aubrey for the night. That in itself is a sweet treat! We enjoy our sleepovers. After a short visit with Nate and Megan, Aubrey and I then picked up my sister Linda and met my mom and stepdad at Baskin Robbins for the last sweets of the day. Our merry little group gathered around a table and chatted as we enjoyed Aubrey’s stories and each other’s company AND….scoops of ice cream. Aubrey even topped her rainbow sherbet with gummy bears. Each of us had a different flavor of ice cream and offered each other sample bites.
After spending a bit more time with my sister at her house, playing school with Aubrey, who played the role of Teacher, my little granddaughter and I returned home to call it a night. We started the movie Frozen on the TV/DVD player in the bedroom and colored in a puppy coloring book for a few minutes before my little princess drifted off to sleep. What a full and fun day. I got to spend it with people I love and care about, who are very sweet and dear to me, which is the real intent of Sweetest Day. I missed getting to see grandsons Joey and Oliver and family in OK but I got to see, even if briefly, most of my immediate family today. I believe I’ll include this special day next year. I have many sweeties to celebrate!
Going Beyond 