A little reason to celebrate
National Lollipop Day
Food · Fun · July 20
A day for lollipops, the hard candy on a stick, and the slow, simple pleasure of making one last.
National Lollipop Day falls on Tuesday, July 20, 2027. That is 266 days away.
A lollipop is hard candy on a stick. The stick is the clever part. It keeps sticky fingers mostly clean and turns a piece of sugar into something you can hold, point with and set down between licks.
Most lollipops start as sugar and corn syrup cooked until very hot, then flavored, colored and poured into a shape around the stick. As the mixture cools it hardens into glassy candy. That is why a good one lasts so long. You cannot rush it without risking your teeth, so most people settle into patience.
The shapes vary a lot. There are small round ones handed out at banks and barbershops, flat swirled discs the size of a saucer, and ones with a chewy or gum center waiting at the end. Flavors run from cherry and grape to sour apple, root beer and stranger experiments.
Marking the day mostly means having one, ideally slowly. Some people revisit the flavor they liked as kids. Others pick a bag of mixed ones and share them at work or with neighbors. A swirled giant lollipop makes a cheerful gift even for an adult who claims to be past such things.
If small children are in the mix, sit them down while they eat a lollipop rather than letting them run with the stick in their mouth. Younger toddlers can choke on hard candy, so a different treat suits them better.
And there is always the old question of biting versus licking, which has never been settled in any household.
Ways to celebrate
- Try a lollipop flavor you have never tasted before.
- Share a bag of mixed lollipops with coworkers or neighbors.
- Give a big swirled lollipop to a friend who needs cheering up.
- Ask friends whether they are biters or lickers.
- Look for a local candy shop's handmade lollipops.
Dates
| Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Monday, July 20 |
| 2027 | Tuesday, July 20 |
| 2028 | Thursday, July 20 |
| 2029 | Friday, July 20 |
| 2030 | Saturday, July 20 |