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National Cocoa Day

Drink · December 13

A day for cocoa, the warm chocolate drink made from cocoa powder or chocolate stirred into hot milk or water.

National Cocoa Day falls on Sunday, December 13, 2026. That is 47 days away.

Cocoa is the warm, chocolate drink most people know from cold evenings and chipped mugs. At its simplest it is cocoa powder, a little sugar and hot milk or water, stirred until the lumps give up.

The powder comes from cocoa beans, which grow in pods on the cacao tree. The beans are fermented, dried and roasted, then pressed so that much of their fat, called cocoa butter, separates out. What is left is ground into the dry, bitter powder sold in tins. Sugar and milk do the rest of the work in the cup.

People often use the words cocoa and hot chocolate for the same thing, though some cooks draw a line. To them cocoa starts from powder, while hot chocolate starts from melted bar chocolate, which makes a richer, thicker drink. Either one counts here.

The usual way to mark the day is the obvious one: make a cup and drink it slowly. Some people add a pinch of salt, a drop of vanilla or a shake of cinnamon. Others float marshmallows on top, or a spoonful of whipped cream that sinks into the drink a little at a time.

A tip for smoother cocoa is to mix the powder and sugar with a splash of the milk first, into a paste, before adding the rest. It keeps the powder from clumping at the bottom of the pan.

Ways to celebrate

• Make a cup of cocoa from powder, sugar and warm milk.
• Try a pinch of cinnamon or salt in your cocoa.
• Compare a powder cocoa with one made from melted chocolate.
• Share a pot of cocoa with family or neighbors.
• Look for a local cafe that makes hot cocoa from scratch.

Dates

All national days on December 13

Also on December 13

• National Guard Birthday
• National Day of the Horse
• National Violin Day
• National Cream Cheese Frosting Day

Categories: Drink days