Jul21 Fun Holiday – Ice Cream Day

Cool down with a scoop (or two) of refreshing ice cream on Ice Cream Day. Celebrated annually since 1984 on the third Sunday of July in the United States, the unofficial holiday celebrates everyone’s favorite sweet treat.

The holiday was created by an official proclamation by President Ronald Reagan in 1984. At the time, the holiday was supposed to be only celebrated once - on July 15, 1984. The ice cream industry, however, decided to continue the tradition every year since. In addition to observing a National Ice Cream Day, the proclamation also designated July as National Ice Cream Month. This too has now become a tradition.

Chinese Origin

Traditionally made by freezing a mixture of cream or milk, sugar, and some kind of flavoring, ice cream is often eaten after a meal as a dessert or as a mid-meal snack. As a treat, ice cream has a long and varied history, though very little is known about its origins. Some historians believed that the Chinese were responsible for inventing the earliest versions of this dessert, while others suggest that the Romans mixed snow with honey and fruits to create the first prototype of ice cream. Either way, the early types of ice cream were nothing like the ice cream we are familiar with today.

Only for Royals

In the old days before refrigerators became common kitchen equipment, ice cream was a food reserved for the royals and the rich and it was only eaten during special occasions. The development of refrigeration technology quickly made ice cream a commonly enjoyed dessert around the world. Today, people can easily make ice cream at home with the help of portable ice cream makers.

How to Celebrate?

• Many ice cream parlors and stores have sales and specials on their products on this day. Visit one of them to celebrate this fun holiday.
• Have ice cream for all your meals. It can be considered as a nutritious food group for this one day.
• Don’t live in the United States? We suggest that that shouldn’t stop you from celebrating this awesome holiday. After all, ice cream is a delicious treat in every culture. Make your own ice cream and serve it to family and friends.
• Tired of the usual vanilla or strawberry ice cream? Get creative with your flavorings. What about adding mint to your strawberry ice cream? Or bacon bits to your caramel ice cream?
• Don't like to have just plain ice cream? What about making some ice cream sandwiches or an ice cream cake instead?

Did You Know...

...that some studies have shown that people buy and consume more ice cream on a Sunday than any other day of the week?

Ice Cream Day Observances

Fun Holiday: Ice Cream Day Observances
Year	Weekday	Date	Name
2024	Sun	Jul 21	Ice Cream Day
2025	Sun	Jul 20	Ice Cream Day
2026	Sun	Jul 19	Ice Cream Day
2027	Sun	Jul 18	Ice Cream Day
2028	Sun	Jul 16	Ice Cream Day
2029	Sun	Jul 15	Ice Cream Day
2030	Sun	Jul 21	Ice Cream Day
2031	Sun	Jul 20	Ice Cream Day
2032	Sun	Jul 18	Ice Cream Day
2033	Sun	Jul 17	Ice Cream Day

See all Fun Holidays