A candy with a long and storied history, lollipops have been enjoyed by people all over the world for thousands of years. The fun fruity suckers on a stick we enjoy today have undergone an interesting evolution that kids will find very interesting. Historians have traced these treats back in time across different cultures that developed their own versions based on customs, taste preferences, and local food ingredients. Kids with a sweet tooth will love learning all kinds of fascinating lollipop facts that they will talk about next time they unwrap a sweet treat.
Fun Lollipop History and Trivia
(1) July 20th is National Lollipop Day.
The National Confectioners Association is credited with putting National Lollipop Day on the calendar. As a fun way to promote this whimsical treat, candy stores may run promotions, activities, and games in their stores, enticing little ones with colorful displays of their favorite suckers. Parents and teachers can also get crafty with their kiddos by using lollipops as the central theme for coloring, counting, and other learning activities.
(2) A Guinness World Record was set with a lollipop weighing 7,000 pounds.
The See's Candy factory in Burlingame, California made history in 2012 with the biggest lollipop ever, created entirely of chocolate. The stick itself, which was not included in the weight record, stood almost 12 feet tall. As for the lollipop, it measured 4 feet 8.75 inches long, 3 feet 6 inches wide, and 5 feet 11 inches high. To put this monstrosity in perspective, the weight equals about three
(3) Lollipops as we know them today were invented in 1908.
George Smith, an entrepreneurial man and business owner, experimented with fixing a hard candy on the top of a small, paper stick. When demand for his treats grew, he decided to come up with a patented name to further capitalize on his invention. At the time, his favorite racehorse was named Lolly Pop, and the rest is history!
(4) Dum Dums were established as the most iconic lollipop brand in 1924.
Akron Candy Company made a brilliant decision by settling on the name Dum Dum for its candy on a stick. And the reason? Kids of all ages can easily say and remember it. Spangler Candy purchased the brand in 1954, manufacturing close to 2 million Dum Dums every day in seven different flavors. Still under the same ownership, a whopping 12 million units are produced daily in sixteen flavors.
(5) The most expensive lollipop available for consumers has a price tag of close to $40.
A Swiss luxury confectioner dreamed up a delicious strawberry lollipop covered in edible gold flakes. Other candy retailers have dipped their toes into the market of pricey lollipops, usually enticing consumers with 24k gold leaf edible sprinkles or other catchy ingredients to justify the price tag. More recently, Kim Kardashian made a splash with a one million dollar lollipop. This spectacle was created for publicity in partnership with Sugar Factory Lollipops. Prominently displayed at the store inside Paris Las Vegas Hotel, the giant pop is set with 280 princess cut diamonds.
(6) The most popular lollipop flavor in America is cherry.
In fact, cherry ranks as the overwhelmingly favorite flavor for all hard candies, including lollipops. The combination of both sweet and tart, cherry is the preferred choice when little ones dig through a bag of suckers in search of the the perfect pick. Some other top sellers include watermelon, blue raspberry, cotton candy, green apple, and strawberry.
(7) Lollipop, an oldie but goodie, was a popular song recorded in 1958.
Songwriter Julius Dixson had a session scheduled with Beverly Ross. As the story goes, he was late to the meeting because his daughter was messing around with a lollipop that got stuck in her hair. Ross was tickled by the story and so intrigued by the word "lollipop" that she immediately sat down at the piano and worked out a catchy tune. Originally recorded by the singing duo Ronald & Ruby, the song did not gain serious popularity until it was released by The Chordettes later that year. It quickly rose to the #2 spot on the music charts in the US.
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