National Ice Cream Day: Third Sunday in July
Almost everyone loves ice cream, and there are so many flavors to choose from. The entire month of July is National Ice Cream Month, and the third Sunday in July is National Ice Cream Day. The date is not always the same every year.
Many ice cream parlors are offering free or discounts on ice cream on Sunday, July 21. Check with the popular ice cream places in your area to find out which ones are celebrating National Ice Cream Day and giving away free ice cream treats.
National Ice Cream Month and Day
How did National Ice Cream Month come about? We all have President Ronald Reagan to thank for designating July as National Ice Cream Month in 1984. He also designated the third Sunday in July to be National Ice Cream Day.
July is a good month to celebrate ice cream because the days are super hot, and ice cream is a refreshing treat. It is a favorite not only for children but for people of all ages.
Hundreds of Flavors and Toppings
There are hundreds of ice cream flavors and many different toppings to choose from. If you can name the flavor, it can be made. Remember the world's largest ice cream chain, Baskin-Robbins, started out by having a different flavor every day of the month.
Even though there are more than that number today, the company still keeps the 31 in its logo. If you look at the company's pink and blue logo, as shown above, you will see the 31 clearly displayed in pink.
Favorite Ice Cream Flavors
Have you ever wondered what the most popular flavor of ice cream is?
Vanilla is America's most popular flavor of ice cream, according to the International Ice Cream Association. Chocolate is the second, and Butter Pecan is the third. Neopolitan and Rocky Road tied for fourth.
When you look in the ice cream section in the grocery store, you could stand there for a long time trying to decide which kind to purchase because there are so many choices.
Different Ways to Eat Ice Cream
Ice cream is so versatile that the frozen treat can be eaten with a spoon from a cup or bowl. It can be licked while it is in a cone. It can be eaten on top of a waffle or in a banana split.
You can place a scoop of ice cream on top of desserts such as apple pie or pies made out of other fruits. You can also have it with a slice of cake.
Use ice cream as part of other desserts such as floats, sundaes, milkshakes, ice cream cakes and even baked items, such as Baked Alaska.
Let's not forget that ice cream can come in ice cream sandwiches, Eskimo pies, and in inside popsicles.
The average American consumes more than 23 pounds of ice cream a year.
Interesting Things about Ice Cream
- Pecans are the most popular nuts in ice cream.
- Strawberries are the most popular fruits to be in ice cream.
- Candy and chocolate pieces are the most popular confections to put on top.
- Waffle cones and sugar cones tie for most popular edible containers of ice cream.
- June and July are the busiest months for ice cream production.
- About 1.54 billion gallons of ice cream are usually produced in the U.S. each year.
- The ice cream industry in the United States contributes more than $39.0 billion to the national economy.
- More than 188,000 people are employed in the ice cream industry.
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Consumption
- The average American consumes more than 23 pounds of ice cream a year.
- Regular ice cream is the most popular category of frozen desserts.
- Low-fat ice cream is the second most popular category.
- American ice cream companies make more than 900 million gallons of regular ice cream in a year.
