Sweetest Day Celebrates Random Acts of Kindness

There are conflicting views on how Sweetest Day started back in the 1920s. Some say that it started as an act of philanthropy by candy company employee Herbert Birch Kingston. However, there is evidence that an issue of The Cleveland Plain Dealer on October 8, 1921 states that the first Sweetest Day was planned by a committee of 12 candy makers, chaired by candymaker C. C. Hartzell. The Sweetest Day in the Year Committee distributed over 20,000 boxes of candy to "newsboys, orphans, old folks, and the poor" in Cleveland, Ohio.

Primarily celebrated in the mid-west, Ohio is the top state for Sweetest Day sales, followed by Michigan and Illinois. Texas, California and Florida are among the top 10 states in sales. When people move from their residence in the mid-west, they often take the Sweetest Day tradition with them.

It is described by Retail Confectioners International as an "occasion which offers all of us an opportunity to remember not only the sick, aged and orphaned, but also friends, relatives and associates whose helpfulness and kindness we have enjoyed". It has also been looked down upon by those who think it's just a big retail day for candy makers.

Beyond a gift of candy, Sweetest Day could evolve into a day of giving in the United States. A helping hand to someone less fortunate, a gift of time spent with someone who is ill or a note to tell someone that they are special. This is the type of holiday that may have roots in the candy industry, but could transpire into something much more meaningful in these poor economic times.

Cheryl Phillips
Exclusive to HULIQ.com

source: Wikipedia for historical information.