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			{{Short description\|Holiday}}
	{{TotallyDisputed}}
			{{Use mdy dates\|date=October 2018}}
	{{Infobox Holiday \|
			{{Infobox holiday \|
	\|holiday_name=Sweetest Day
			\|holiday_name=Sweetest Day
	\|color1=#964B00
			\|type=local
	\|color3=#F0DC82
			\|duration= 1 day
	\|observedby=Mostly ] ]
			\|scheduling = nth weekday of the month
	\|date=Third Saturday in October
			\|frequency=Annual
	\|date2006=]
			\|observedby=]
	\|celebrations=Remembering friends and loved ones, buying cards and candy
			\|week_ordinal = third
	}}
			\|weekday = Saturday
	'''Sweetest Day''' is a ] celebrated primarily in the ] region and parts of the Northeast United States<ref>http://www.netglimse.com/holidays/sweetest_day/origins_and_facts_about_sweetest_day.shtml </ref> (with Detroit, Cleveland and Buffalo being the biggest Sweetest Day cities<ref>http://www.retailconfectioners.org/content.aspx?page_id=22&club_id=60196&module_id=3418</ref> ) on the third Saturday in ]. It is described by Retail Confectioners International (a candy trade organization) 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."<ref>http://www.retailconfectioners.org/content.aspx?page_id=22&club_id=60196&module_id=3418</ref> Critics call ''Sweetest Day'' an artificial holiday created solely to boost the revenues of candy and greeting card companies.{{citation needed}}
			\|month = October
			\|celebrations= Giving presents such as greeting cards and candy to loved ones. }}
			'''Sweetest Day''' is a holiday that is celebrated in the ],<ref>{{Citation\|title=Sweetest Day\|url=https://corporate.hallmark.com/holidays-occasions/sweetest-day/\|access-date=2022-01-11}}</ref> in parts of the ], in ], and in ] on the third Saturday in October.<ref name="Cridlin">{{cite news \|url=http://www.sptimes.com/2006/10/21/Floridian/A_sweet_day_for_Hallm.shtml \|title=A sweet day for Hallmark \|last=Cridlin \|first=Jay \|date=October 21, 2006 \|publisher=St Petersburg Times \|access-date=February 21, 2007}}</ref> It is a day to share romantic deeds or expressions, and acts of charity and kindness.<ref name= "MVN">{{cite news \|url=http://www.mountvernonnews.com/local/06/10/21/sweetest.day.html \|title=Sweetest Day born in Ohio \|last=Orsborn \|first=Kimberly \|date=October 20, 2006 \|work=Mount Vernon News \|access-date=February 21, 2007 \|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070326163335/http://www.mountvernonnews.com/local/06/10/21/sweetest.day.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> \|archive-date = March 26, 2007}}</ref> The idea was once presented as a Valentine's Day for men so that women could celebrate their significant other. Sweetest Day has also been referred to as a "]" or a "concocted ]" created by the candy industry solely to increase sales of sweets.<ref name="ReferenceA">''The Cleveland Plain Dealer'', October 15, 2005.</ref>

	== Origin ~~of Sweetest Day~~ ==		==Origin==
			]
			]

	The ~~origin of~~ Sweetest ~~day~~ is ~~frequently~~ ~~attributed~~ to ~~candy~~ ~~store~~ ~~employee~~ ~~Herbert Birch Kingston<ref>http://www~~.~~theromantic.com/sweetestday.htm</ref>~~ as ~~an act of philanthropy. However Bill Lubinger, a reporter for~~ ''The ~~Cleveland~~ Plain Dealer~~'', contends that "...Cleveland's top candy makers concocted the promotion 84 years ago and it stuck, although it never became as widely accepted as hoped."<ref>''The Cleveland~~ Plain Dealer'' ~~October 15, 2005</ref> This claim is based on the~~ '~~'The~~ ~~Cleveland~~ ~~Plain~~ ~~Dealer'' ]~~, ~~] edition~~, which chronicles the first Sweetest ~~day~~ in Cleveland. ~~According~~ to the ~~newspaper~~ it was planned by a committee of 12 confectioners, ~~who~~ distributed 19,~~500~~ boxes of candy to newsboys, ~~homeless people~~, ~~orphans~~, and ~~others~~ ~~who had fallen on hard times~~ in ]<ref>''The ~~Cleveland~~ Plain Dealer'' October 8, 1921 and October 8, 1922</ref>. The ''Sweetest Day in the Year Committee'' was assisted in the distribution of candy by some of the biggest movie stars of the day including ] and ].<ref>''The Cleveland Plain Dealer'' October 8, 1921 and October 8, 1922</ref> Leigh Eric Schmidt traces the origin back to 1910 in his book ''Consumer Rites: The Buying and Selling of American Holidays'', where he argues that "~~Sweetest Day~~" ~~is a later incarnation of the failed attempt to create a "Candy Day" holiday<ref>http:~~/~~/www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&se=gglsc&d=5000558728</ref~~>.		The first Sweetest Day was observed on October 10, 1921, in ]. The Cleveland '']'' edition of October 8, 1922, which chronicles the first Sweetest Day in Cleveland, states that the first Sweetest Day was planned by a committee of 12 confectioners 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.<ref>''The Lindell Plain Dealer'', October 8, 1921, and October 8, 1922.</ref> The ''Sweetest Day in the Year Committee'' was assisted in the distribution of candy by some of the biggest movie stars of the day including ] and ].<ref name="ReferenceA"/>
	In 1921 a committee of 12 men, all confectioners, planned the details of ''The Sweetest Day in the Year,'' a new candy-buying holiday where 19,500 of boxes of candy were given by the Candy Industry to the "poor, forgotten and downtrodden" in Cleveland. ]
	The 12 Candymakers appointed as ''Sweetest Day in the Year Committeemen'' were: C.R. Canter, A.E. Barton, R.T. Fuller, J.J. Wilsdon, R.H. Sheehan, W.A. Katzenmeyer, A.A. Sarouch, Louis Hahn, W.J. Nichols, C.C. Hartsell (chairman of the ''Sweetest Day in the Year Committee''), L. Narwood, and L.E. Gruber. Photos of the 12 Founders of Sweetest Day were first published in ''The Cleveland Plain Dealer'' on October 8, 1922.

			There were also several attempts to start a "Sweetest Day" in ], including a declaration of a Candy Day throughout the United States by candy manufacturers on October 8, 1922.<ref name="nyt22">''The New York Times'', October 8, 1922.</ref> In 1927, ''The New York Times'' reported that "the powers that determine the nomenclature of the weeks of October" decreed that the week beginning on October 10, 1927, would be known as ''Sweetest Week.''<ref name="nyt27">''The New York Times'', October 10, 1927.</ref> On September 25, 1937, ''The New York Times'' reported under ''Advertising News and Notes'' that The ] had launched a "movement throughout the candy industry" to rank Sweetest Day with the nationally accepted Mother's Day, Father's Day, and St. Valentine's Day.<ref name="nyt37">''The New York Times'', September 25, 1937.</ref>
	==The 12 Founders of Sweetest Day==

			In 1940, another Sweetest Day was proclaimed on October 19. The promotional event was marked by the distribution of more than 10,000 boxes of candy by the ''Sweetest Day Committee.''<ref name="nyt40">''The New York Times'', October 18, 1940.</ref> The candy was distributed among 26 local charities. 225 children were given candy in the chapel at the ''Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children '' on October 17, 1940.<ref name="nyt40"/> 600 boxes of candy were also delivered to the presidents of the Jewish, Protestant and Catholic Big Sister groups of New York.
	<gallery>
	Image:Chairman of the Sweetest Day Committee - C C Hartsell.jpg\| Chairman of The Sweetest Day in the Year Committee C.C. Hartsell
	Image:Sweetest Day Founder - C R Canter.jpg\|Sweetest Day Founder C.R. Canter
	Image:Sweetest Day Founder - A E Barton.JPEG\| Sweetest Day Founder A.E. Barton
	Image:Sweetest Day Founder - R T Fuller.JPEG\| Sweetest Day Founder R.T. Fuller
	Image:Sweetest Day Founder J J Wilsdon.JPEG\| Sweetest Day Founder J.J. Wilsdon
	Image:Sweetest Day Founder - R H Sheehan.JPEG\| Sweetest Day Founder R.H. Sheehan
	Image:Sweetest Day Founder - W A Katzenmeyer.jpg\| Sweetest Day Founder W.A. Katzenmeyer
	Image:Sweetest Day Founder A A Sarouch.jpg\| Sweetest Day Founder A.A. Sarouch
	Image:Sweetest Day Founder - Louis Hahn.JPEG\| Sweetest Day Founder Louis Hahn
	Image:Sweetest Day Founder - W J Nichols.JPEG\| Sweetest Day Founder W.J. Nichols
	Image:Sweetest Day Founder - L Narwood.JPEG\| Sweetest Day Founder L. Narwood
	Image:Sweetest Day Founder - L E Gruber.JPEG\| Sweetest Day Founder L.E. Gruber
	</gallery>

	==The First Sweetest Day==

			==Regional importance==
	]
			Retail Confectioners International describes the observance as "much more important for candymakers in some regions than in others (] and ] being the biggest Sweetest Day cities)".<ref name="rci"> {{Webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061006060240/http://retailconfectioners.org/content.aspx?page_id=22&club_id=60196&module_id=3418 \|date=October 6, 2006 }}, ''retailerconfectioners.org''. Retrieved on February 21, 2007.</ref><ref>{{Citation\|title=Cincinnati.com: Why do we celebrate Sweetest Day? What to know about the holiday with Ohio roots\|url=https://www.cincinnati.com/story/entertainment/2021/10/15/sweetest-day-2021-october-how-to-celebrate/8433702002/\|access-date=2022-07-16}}</ref> The popularity in Detroit was greatly perpetuated by the Sanders Candy Company. Frederick Sanders was a large promoter of the holiday.<ref>{{Cite web\|url=https://www.metrotimes.com/the-scene/archives/2015/10/16/whats-the-deal-with-sweetest-day-bullshit-anyway\|title=What's the deal with Sweetest Day bullshit, anyway?\|last=Grzegorek\|first=Vince\|website=Detroit Metro Times\|language=en\|date=2015-10-16\|access-date=2020-02-05}}</ref> In 2006, ] marketed 151 greeting card designs for Sweetest Day. ] marketed 178.<ref name= "MVN">{{cite news \|url=http://www.mountvernonnews.com/local/06/10/21/sweetest.day.html \|title=Sweetest Day born in Ohio \|last=Orsborn \|first=Kimberly \|date=October 20, 2006 \|work=Mount Vernon News \|access-date=February 21, 2007 \|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070326163335/http://www.mountvernonnews.com/local/06/10/21/sweetest.day.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> \|archive-date = March 26, 2007}}</ref>

			Sweetest Day observance is still most prevalent in the Great Lakes region, where the holiday originated, including Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin.<ref name="Sweetest Day">{{Citation\|title=Sweetest Day\|url=https://corporate.hallmark.com/holidays-occasions/sweetest-day/\|access-date=2022-07-16}}</ref> According to ], "the once-regional celebration of Sweetest Day has spread throughout the country."<ref name="Sweetest Day"/> In addition to those states where it is "most prevalent", Sweetest Day is celebrated by communities in Arizona, California, Florida, Kentucky, Missouri, New York, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Washington, and West Virginia, bringing the total to 17 states.<ref>{{Citation\|title=TimeAndDate.com: Sweetest Day\|url=https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/us/sweetest-day\|access-date=2022-07-16}}</ref><ref name="Cridlin"/><ref>{{Citation\|title=Mimi Vanderhaven: The Origins of Sweetest Day\|url=https://www.mimivanderhaven.com/articles/the-origins-of-sweetest-day\|access-date=2022-07-16}}</ref>
	]

			==Criticism==
	The 12 founders of Sweetest Day executed a huge candy marketing blitz of Cleveland on October 8th 1921. The first Sweetest Day marketing extravaganza included enormous candy giveaways at Cleveland's Orphanage and Charitable Institutions (10,000 boxes of candy distributed by the Committee). Silent film star Ann Pennington distributed 5,000 boxes of candy to poor people at The Ohio Theater. Actress Theda Bara distributed 2,000 boxes of candy in front of Loew's State Park and Liberty Theaters. Ann Pennington also distributed 2,500 boxes of candy to the Cleveland Plain Dealer's newsboys "for their service to the community." The number of boxes of candy given away to poor people by the Candy Industry totalled 19,500 on the first Sweetest Day, according to ''The Cleveland Plain Dealer.''
			Since Sweetest Day was invented by commercial interests which stood to profit from such a holiday, critics refer to it as a "]"<ref name="Arnett">{{cite news\|url=http://metromix.chicagotribune.com/localguide/suburbs/west/mmx-061018-west-suburbs-sweetest-day,0,7539245.story?coll=mmx-sgtop_promo \|title=Sweet wine o' mine \|last=Arnett \|first=Lisa \|work=] \|access-date=February 21, 2007 \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070310152505/http://metromix.chicagotribune.com/localguide/suburbs/west/mmx-061018-west-suburbs-sweetest-day,0,7539245.story?coll=mmx-sgtop_promo \|archive-date=March 10, 2007 }}</ref> (although it was not invented by the ] company).

			==References==
	==The Second Sweetest Day==
			{{Reflist}}

			==Further reading==
	The second Sweetest Day, which occurred on October 14th, 1922, was an even bigger media event. On October 8th, 1922, to remind Clevelanders that Sweetest Day was coming, a full section of the Cleveland Plain Dealer was devoted to Sweetest Day advertising and activities. Actor Jimmy Hussey promised candy for all Cleveland. The Commissioner of Health from New York City, Royal S. Copeland, was employed to write an article entitled "Eat Candy As Part Of Meal And Be Happy," telling Clevelanders to "Eat Candy as a Portion of Your Daily Meal and Enjoy the Best of Health." The first ''Queen of Sweetest Day'' was crowned in 1922. Her name was Vera Sissons. Ms. Sissons was 82 years old and lived at the Home for Aged Women.
			* {{cite book\|title=The Business of Holidays\|editor=Maud Lavin\|publisher=Monacelli\|date=October 4, 2004\|isbn=1-58093-150-2}}
	By 1924 the Candy Industry and ''The Cleveland Plain Dealer'' were telling Clevelanders that Sweetest Day had become a ''National Institution.'' Also in 1924, some of the candy advertising for Sweetest Day referred to the day as ''National Candy Day.''
			* {{cite book\|title=Consumer Rites: The Buying and Selling of American Holidays\|author=Leigh Eric Schmidt\|publisher=Princeton University Press\|date=1995\|isbn=0691029806}}
			* {{cite book\|title=I Hate Valentine's Day\|author=Bennett Madison and James Dignan\|publisher=Simon Spotlight Entertainment\|date=December 28, 2002\|isbn=0-689-87372-7\|url-access=registration\|url=https://archive.org/details/ihatevalentinesd0000madi}}

			==External links==
	(Click on image to read text of the articles.)
			{{Commons\|Sweetest Day}}
	<gallery>
	Image:Page 4 Full Page Sweetest Day Editorial.jpg\|Full page Sweetest Day Editorial published October 8th, 1922, telling Clevelanders why they should celebrate Sweetest Day.

			*
	Image:NY Health Commissioner's Article 10-08-22.JPEG\|Page 2 Sweetest Day Section article Written by NYC Health Commissioner telling Clevelanders to "Eat Candy and Be Healthy."
			*
			{{Public holidays in the United States}}
			{{Authority control}}

			]
	Image:The Queen of Sweetest Day 1922.JPEG\| The first ''Queen of Sweetest Day'' was 82-year-old Vera Sissons (1922).
			]

			]
	Image:Jimmy Celebrates "Sweetest Day".JPEG\|Jimmy celebrates Sweetest Day in 1922.
			]

			]
	Image:Doctors Introduce First Candies.JPEG\|Article explaining how doctors were the first to introduce candies.
			]

			]
	Image:Sweetest Day Named For Everybody.JPEG\|Article about the naming of Sweetest Day.

	Image:Candy For All Cleveland! - Jimmy Hussey - 1922.JPEG\|Actor Jimmy Hussey promises candy for all Clevelanders who can't afford it.

	Image:Cleveland's "Sweetest Day" - 1922.JPEG\|Cleveland's ''Sweetest Day in the Year'' (1922).

	Image:Send Candy To A Poor Person!.JPEG\|Use this form to send candy to a poor person (1922).

	Image:Crane's Chocolates.JPEG\|Crane's Candy Company Sweetest Day advertisement (1922).

	Image:DeKlyn's Chocolates - 1922.JPEG\|DeKlyn's Chocolate Company Sweetest Day ad (1922).

	Image:Cleveland Plain Dealer Circulation 1922.JPEG\|''The Cleveland Plain Dealer's'' circulation in 1922 was nearly 200,000 copies per day.

	Image:Marshall's Drug Sweetest Day Ad 1922.JPEG\|Marshall's Drug Stores (26 locations) Sweetest Day ad (1922).

	Image:Bryn Mawr Chocolates 1922.JPEG\|Sweetest Day ad for Bryn Mawr Chocolates (1922).

	Image:Thurston's Magic Box Candies 1922.JPEG\|Sweetest Day ad for Thurston's Magic Box Candies (1922).

	Image:Candy Article - 1922.JPEG\|Candy making article from the Sweetest Day Section of ''The Cleveland Plain Dealer'' (1922).
	</gallery>

	Companies and organizations which advertised in ''The Cleveland Plain Dealer'' and participated in the first two Sweetest Days included:

	The Cleveland Plain Dealer Newspaper, The Cleveland Business Exchange, The Cleveland Advertising Club, Hotel Statler, Whitman's Candies, Loew's Park Theater, Loew's State Theater, The Ohio Theater, Apollo Chocolates, F.H. Roberts Company, Crane's Party Box, Ohio Confection Company, Euclid's Chocolates, Nimburger Hahn (Louis Hahn?) Candies, Shoot's Chocolates, Thurston's Magic Box Candies, Johnston's Candies, Hoffman's Candy And Ice Cream Companies, H.M.D Candies, Midland Candy Boxes, Standard Drug Stores (16 locations), Troughton's Sugar Jar Candies, Weideman's Candies, Addison Pharmacy, Alpha Pharmacy, The Bank Lunch, Benfield And Benfield (Benfield Drug Company), Bruggator And Ripley, H.D. Butler, W.W. Brown Company, Buckstein Drug Company, Cleveland Pharmacy, Deklyn's Candies, Deutch And Rosengarten, Fischer Rohr Company, Cedar Drug Company, Geiger Moss Drug Company, Geraldine Ferrar Company, Gerson Drug Company, Glick's Candies, Gordon Square Pharmacy, Hough Avenue Drug Company, The J.M. Gasser Company, Kappus Drug Store, Lakewood Pharmacy, Lake Shore Pharmacy, Liggett's Pharmacy, Marshall's Drug Stores (26 locations), Maxixe Cherries, Miller's Drug Stores, Parkgate Pharmacy, Price Drug Company, J.G. Reed And Company, M. Rinzler, Ritter's Candies, Seltzer Drug Company, G. Schneider-Richards Company, The Superior Peanut Company, H.M. Stage Company, Andrew E. Walleck Company, Weinberger-Euclid Drug Company, J.L. Westaway Company, Winton Hotel Drug Company, W.L.Wilson Company, Wyandotte Pharmacy


	== Sweetest Day Today ==

	This tradition now largely involves giving small presents such as greeting cards, candy, and flowers to loved ones. While it is not as large or widely observed as ], it is still celebrated in parts of the United States; despite persistent allegations of being a ].

	== References ==
	<references/>


	== Further reading ==
	* {{cite book\|title=The Business of Holidays\|editor=Maud Lavin\|publisher=Monacelli\|date=]\|id=ISBN 1580931502}}
	* {{cite book\|title=Consumer rites : the buying & selling of American holidays\|author=Leigh Eric Schmidt\|location=Princeton, N.J.\|publisher=Princeton University Press\|date=]\|id=ISBN 0691029806}}
	** Reviewed in {{cite journal\|title=Consumer Rites: The Buying and Selling of American Holidays\|url=http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&se=gglsc&d=5000558728\|author=Scott C. Martin\|journal=Journal of Social History\|volume=31\|date=1997}}
	* {{cite book\|title=I Hate Valentine's Day\|author=Bennett Madison and James Dignan\|publisher=Simon Spotlight Entertainment\|date=]\|id=ISBN 0689873727}}

	== External links ==

	*
	* {{cite web\|url=http://www.theromantic.com/sweetestday.htm History of Sweetest Day\|title=Origins and Facts About Sweetest Day\|author=Michael Webb\|publisher=TheRomantic.com}}
	*
	*
	* {{cite web\|url=http://pressroom.americangreetings.com/archives/fall04/sweetestday04.html\|title=Sweetest Day was born from one man’s kindness…not in the laboratory of a greeting card company\|publisher=American Greetings Corporation\|date=August 2004}}
	* {{cite web\|url=http://pressroom.hallmark.com/sweetest_day.html\|title=Sweetest Day 2005\|publisher=]\|date=September 2005}}

	]
	]

Latest revision as of 14:48, 31 October 2024

Holiday

Sweetest Day
Observed by	Great Lakes region
Type	Local
Celebrations	Giving presents such as greeting cards and candy to loved ones.
Date	Third Saturday in October
2023 date	October 21 (2023-10-21)
2024 date	October 19 (2024-10-19)
2025 date	October 18 (2025-10-18)
2026 date	October 17 (2026-10-17)
Frequency	Annual

Sweetest Day is a holiday that is celebrated in the Midwestern United States, in parts of the Northeastern United States, in Arizona, and in Florida on the third Saturday in October. It is a day to share romantic deeds or expressions, and acts of charity and kindness. The idea was once presented as a Valentine's Day for men so that women could celebrate their significant other. Sweetest Day has also been referred to as a "Hallmark holiday" or a "concocted promotion" created by the candy industry solely to increase sales of sweets.

Origin

The first Sweetest Day was observed on October 10, 1921, in Cleveland. The Cleveland Plain Dealer's edition of October 8, 1922, which chronicles the first Sweetest Day in Cleveland, states that the first Sweetest Day was planned by a committee of 12 confectioners 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. The Sweetest Day in the Year Committee was assisted in the distribution of candy by some of the biggest movie stars of the day including Theda Bara and Ann Pennington.

There were also several attempts to start a "Sweetest Day" in New York City, including a declaration of a Candy Day throughout the United States by candy manufacturers on October 8, 1922. In 1927, The New York Times reported that "the powers that determine the nomenclature of the weeks of October" decreed that the week beginning on October 10, 1927, would be known as Sweetest Week. On September 25, 1937, The New York Times reported under Advertising News and Notes that The National Confectioners Association had launched a "movement throughout the candy industry" to rank Sweetest Day with the nationally accepted Mother's Day, Father's Day, and St. Valentine's Day.

In 1940, another Sweetest Day was proclaimed on October 19. The promotional event was marked by the distribution of more than 10,000 boxes of candy by the Sweetest Day Committee. The candy was distributed among 26 local charities. 225 children were given candy in the chapel at the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children on October 17, 1940. 600 boxes of candy were also delivered to the presidents of the Jewish, Protestant and Catholic Big Sister groups of New York.

Regional importance

Retail Confectioners International describes the observance as "much more important for candymakers in some regions than in others (Detroit and Cleveland being the biggest Sweetest Day cities)". The popularity in Detroit was greatly perpetuated by the Sanders Candy Company. Frederick Sanders was a large promoter of the holiday. In 2006, Hallmark marketed 151 greeting card designs for Sweetest Day. American Greetings marketed 178.

Sweetest Day observance is still most prevalent in the Great Lakes region, where the holiday originated, including Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin. According to Hallmark, "the once-regional celebration of Sweetest Day has spread throughout the country." In addition to those states where it is "most prevalent", Sweetest Day is celebrated by communities in Arizona, California, Florida, Kentucky, Missouri, New York, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Washington, and West Virginia, bringing the total to 17 states.

Criticism

Since Sweetest Day was invented by commercial interests which stood to profit from such a holiday, critics refer to it as a "Hallmark holiday" (although it was not invented by the Hallmark Cards company).

References

Sweetest Day, retrieved January 11, 2022
^ Cridlin, Jay (October 21, 2006). "A sweet day for Hallmark". St Petersburg Times. Retrieved February 21, 2007.
^ Orsborn, Kimberly (October 20, 2006). "Sweetest Day born in Ohio". Mount Vernon News. Archived from the original on March 26, 2007. Retrieved February 21, 2007.
^ The Cleveland Plain Dealer, October 15, 2005.
The Lindell Plain Dealer, October 8, 1921, and October 8, 1922.
The New York Times, October 8, 1922.
The New York Times, October 10, 1927.
The New York Times, September 25, 1937.
^ The New York Times, October 18, 1940.
Sweetest Day Archived October 6, 2006, at the Wayback Machine, retailerconfectioners.org. Retrieved on February 21, 2007.
Cincinnati.com: Why do we celebrate Sweetest Day? What to know about the holiday with Ohio roots, retrieved July 16, 2022
Grzegorek, Vince (October 16, 2015). "What's the deal with Sweetest Day bullshit, anyway?". Detroit Metro Times. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
^ Sweetest Day, retrieved July 16, 2022
TimeAndDate.com: Sweetest Day, retrieved July 16, 2022
Mimi Vanderhaven: The Origins of Sweetest Day, retrieved July 16, 2022
Arnett, Lisa. "Sweet wine o' mine". The Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on March 10, 2007. Retrieved February 21, 2007.

External links

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March Irish-American Heritage Month Colon Cancer Awareness Month Women's History Month	Saint Patrick's Day (religious) Spring break (week) Annunciation of the Virgin Mary / Annunciation of the Theotokos (religious) Casimir Pulaski Day (IL) Cesar Chavez Day (CA, CO, TX, proposed federal) Emancipation Day in Puerto Rico (PR, cultural) Evacuation Day (Suffolk County, MA) Harriet Tubman Day (NY) Hola Mohalla (religious) Holi (NY, religious) L. Ron Hubbard's Birthday (religious) Lailat al-Mi'raj (religious) Liberation and Freedom Day (Charlottesville, VA, cultural) Mardi Gras (AL (in two counties), LA) Maryland Day (MD) Medal of Honor Day National Poison Prevention Week (week) Nowruz (cultural, religious) Ostara (religious) Pi Day Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole Day (HI) Promised Messiah Day (religious) Saint Joseph's Day (religious) Seward's Day (AK) Texas Independence Day (TX) Town Meeting Day (VT) Transfer Day (VI) Trans Day of Visibility (cultural)
March–April	Easter (religious) Good Friday (CT, NC, PR, NJ, VI, religious) Hanuman Jayanti (religious) Holy Thursday (PR, VI, religious) Holy Week (PR, religious, week) Lazarus Saturday (religious) Mahavir Janma Kalyanak (religious) Mesha Sankranti / Hindu New Year (religious) Palm Sunday (PR, religious) Passover (religious, week) Easter Monday / Bright Monday (VI, religious) Ramnavami (religious) Chandramana Uugadi / Souramana Uugadi (religious)
April Arab American Heritage Month Confederate History Month	420 April Fools' Day Arbor Day Birthday of José de Diego (PR) Confederate Memorial Day (AL, MS) Days of Remembrance of the Victims of the Holocaust (week) Earth Day Emancipation Day (cultural) Thomas Jefferson's Birthday (AL) Lag B’Omer (religious) Last Friday of Great Lent (religious) Pascua Florida (FL) Patriots' Day (MA, ME) Ridván (religious) San Jacinto Day (TX) Siblings Day Walpurgis Night (religious) Yom Ha'atzmaut (cultural, religious)
May Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Jewish American Heritage Month Military Appreciation Month	Memorial Day (federal) Mother's Day (36) Cinco de Mayo Ascension of Baháʼu'lláh (religious) Ascension of Our Lord (religious) Caliphate Day (religious) Declaration of the Bab (religious) Harvey Milk Day (CA) International Workers' Day / May Day (CA, unofficial, proposed state) Law Day (36) Loyalty Day (36) Malcolm X Day (CA, IL, proposed federal) Military Spouse Day National Day of Prayer (36) National Day of Reason National Defense Transportation Day (36) National Maritime Day (36) Peace Officers Memorial Day (36) Pentecost (religious) Shavuot (religious) Truman Day (MO) Vesak / Buddha's Birthday (religious)
June Pride Month	Juneteenth (federal, cultural) Father's Day (36) Bunker Hill Day (Suffolk County, MA) Carolina Day (SC) Don Young Day (AK) Fast of the Holy Apostles (religious) Flag Day (36, proposed federal) Helen Keller Day (PA) Honor America Days (3 weeks) Jefferson Davis Day (AL, FL) Kamehameha Day (HI) Litha (religious) Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Sahib (religious) Odunde Festival (Philadelphia, PA, cultural) Senior Week (week) Saint John's Day (PR, religious) West Virginia Day (WV)
July	Independence Day (federal) Asalha Puja Day (religious) Birthday of Don Luis Muñoz Rivera (PR) Birthday of Dr. José Celso Barbosa (PR) Emancipation Day in the U.S. Virgin Islands (VI, cultural) Guru Purnima (religious) Khordad Sal (religious) Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea (HI, unofficial, cultural) Martyrdom of the Báb (religious) Parents' Day (36) Pioneer Day (UT) Puerto Rico Constitution Day (PR)
July–August	Summer vacation Tisha B'Av (religious)
August	American Family Day (AZ) Barack Obama Day in Illinois (IL) Bennington Battle Day (VT) Dormition of the Theotokos (religious) Eid-e-Ghadeer (religious) Fast in Honor of the Holy Mother of Lord Jesus (religious) Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (religious) Hawaii Admission Day / Statehood Day (HI) Krishna Janmashtami (religious) Lammas (religious) Lyndon Baines Johnson Day (TX) Naga Panchami (religious) National Aviation Day (36) Paryushana (religious) Raksha Bandhan (religious) Transfiguration of the Lord (religious) Victory Day (RI) Women's Equality Day (36)
September Prostate Cancer Awareness Month Childhood Cancer Awareness Month Gospel Music Heritage Month	Labor Day (federal) Brazilian Day (NY, cultural) California Admission Day (CA) Carl Garner Federal Lands Cleanup Day (36) Constitution Day and Citizenship Day (36) Constitution Week Defenders Day (MD) Elevation of the Holy Cross (religious) Feast of San Gennaro (NY, cultural, religious) Ganesh Chaturthi (religious) Gold Star Mother's Day (36) His Holiness Sakya Trizin's Birthday (religious) Mabon (religious) National Grandparents Day (36) National Payroll Week (week) Nativity of Mary / Nativity of the Theotokos (religious) Native American Day (proposed federal) Patriot Day (36) Von Steuben Day
September–October Hispanic Heritage Month	Chehlum Imam Hussain (religious) Oktoberfest Pitri Paksha (religious) Rosh Hashanah / Feast of Trumpets (TX, NY, religious) Shemini Atzeret (religious) Simchat Torah (religious) Vijaya Dashami (religious) Yom Kippur / Day of Atonement (TX, NY, religious)
October Breast Cancer Awareness Month Disability Employment Awareness Month Italian-American Heritage and Culture Month Filipino American History Month LGBT History Month	Columbus Day (federal) Halloween Alaska Day (AK) Child Health Day (36) General Pulaski Memorial Day German-American Day Indigenous Peoples' Day International Day of Non-Violence Leif Erikson Day (36) Missouri Day (MO) Nanomonestotse (cultural) National School Lunch Week (week) Native American Day in South Dakota (SD) Nevada Day (NV) Spirit Day (cultural) Sweetest Day Sukkot / Feast of Tabernacles (religious, week) Virgin Islands–Puerto Rico Friendship Day (PR, VI) White Cane Safety Day (36)
October–November	Birth of the Báb (religious) Birth of Baháʼu'lláh (religious) Day of the Dead (VI) Diwali (NY, religious) Mawlid al-Nabi (religious)
November Native American Indian Heritage Month	Veterans Day (federal) Thanksgiving (federal) Ascension of ‘Abdu’l Baha (religious) All Saints' Day (religious) Beginning of the Nativity Fast (religious) Beltane / Samhain (religious) Barack Obama Day in Alabama (Perry County, AL) D. Hamilton Jackson Day (VI) Day after Thanksgiving (24) Day of the Covenant (religious) Discovery of Puerto Rico Day (PR) Election Day (CA, DE, HI, KY, MT, NJ, NY, OH, PR, VA, WV, proposed federal) Family Day (NV) Friendsgiving Guru Nanak Gurpurab (religious) Hanukkah (religious) Lā Kūʻokoʻa (HI, unofficial, cultural) Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur (religious) Native American Heritage Day (MD, WA, cultural) Presentation of the Theotokos to the Temple (religious) Trans Day of Remembrance (cultural) Unthanksgiving Day (cultural)
December	Christmas (religious, federal) New Year's Eve Advent Sunday (religious) Alabama Day (AL) Birthday of Guru Gobind Singh Sahib (religious) Bodhi Day (religious) Chalica (religious) Christmas Eve (KY, NC, SC, PR, VI) Day after Christmas (KY, NC, SC, TX, VI) Festivus HumanLight Hanukkah (religious, week) Immaculate Conception (religious) Indiana Day (IN) Kwanzaa (cultural, week) Milad Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin (religious) National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day (36) Nativity of Jesus (religious) Old Year's Night (VI) Pan American Aviation Day (36) Pancha Ganapati (religious, week) Rosa Parks Day (OH, OR) Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (religious) Wright Brothers Day (36) Yule (religious) Zartosht No-Diso (religious)
Varies (year round)	Eid al-Adha (NY, religious) Eid al-Fitr (NY, religious) Islamic New Year (religious) Yawm al-Arafa (religious) Hajj (religious) Laylat al-Qadr (religious) Navaratri (religious, four times a year) Obon (religious) Onam (religious) Ramadan (religious, month) Ghost Festival (religious) Yawm Aashura (religious)
Legend: (federal) = federal holidays, (abbreviation) = state/territorial holidays, (religious) = religious holidays, (cultural) = holiday related to a specific racial/ethnic group or sexual minority, (week) = week-long holidays, (month) = month-long holidays, (36) = Title 36 Observances and Ceremonies See also: Lists of holidays, Hallmark holidays, Public holidays in the United States, Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands.

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