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National Gummi Bear Day

Food · April 27

A day for gummi bears, the small chewy fruit candies shaped like bears, and for the odd pleasure of eating them one color at a time.

National Gummi Bear Day falls on Tuesday, April 27, 2027. That is 182 days away.

Gummi bears are small chewy candies shaped like bears, usually made from sugar, gelatin, fruit flavoring and coloring. They come in a handful of colors, each meant to taste like a different fruit, and they fit easily by the handful into a pocket or a lunch.

The texture is the real draw. A gummi bear is firm enough to hold its shape and soft enough to give way slowly, so it rewards chewing more than crunching. Some people eat them warm and soft, some chill them for a stiffer bite, and a few freeze them outright, which turns them into something close to a chewy pebble.

Most people have opinions about the colors. There is often a favorite saved for last and a least favorite quietly left at the bottom of the bag. Tasting them blind and guessing the flavor is harder than it sounds, since color does a lot of the work our tongues think they are doing.

The spelling varies, too. Both gummi and gummy are common, and the name comes from the German word for rubber, which is a fair description of the chew.

Gummi bears also have relatives in sugar-coated sour versions and in larger or smaller bear sizes. The bear shape, with its round ears and tiny arms held at its sides, is still the one most people picture first.

Ways to celebrate

• Try a blind taste test and guess each bear's flavor.
• Sort a bag by color and rank the flavors with friends.
• Chill a few gummi bears and compare the texture to room temperature.
• Share a handful with a coworker or neighbor.

Dates

All national days on April 27

Also on April 27

• National Prime Rib Day
• Marine Mammal Rescue Day
• Babe Ruth Day
• National Devil Dog Day
• Morse Code Day
• National Tell a Story Day

Categories: Food days