A Brief History
On October 19, 2019, we celebrate another Saturday geared toward honoring our sweetest of our sweeties, another one of those “holidays” allegedly created by greeting card companies to sell greeting cards, but fun for the rest of us nonetheless!
Digging Deeper
Of course, we have previously discussed some of these made-up holidays, and had this to say about Sweetest Day:
“Along with Mother’s Day and Father’s Day among others considered a “Hallmark Holiday” created commercially to sell candy and greeting cards, it was invented in Cleveland in 1921 by the newspaper, The Plain Dealer. MEN: DO NOT FORGET THIS HOLIDAY!”
We hope all you men and boys with a wife or girlfriend out there remembered this important day, because if you forgot, you will certainly be reminded. Normally a simple card accompanied by some sort of sweets (usually chocolates) and/or flowers will suffice, but some particularly needy types might demand a more robust response to the day reserved for that special someone. This means men and boys, too! The male of the human species is not immune to the need for social reinforcement and affirmation of his value and desirability, so you female types better keep that in mind.
How will you tell your sweetest that he or she is indeed the sweetest thing in your life? A nice dinner? A movie? An in home romantic meal? A day in the park or at the mall? A special gift? Just a card? (Home-made cards with a personal touch and message are often appreciated more than a commercial card written by someone else.)
Should you honor your favorite pet on this “holiday?” (The answer is a resounding, “Yes!”)
How do you intend to celebrate Sweetest Day?
Question for students (and subscribers): What is your favorite and least favorite made-up holidays? Please let us know in the comments section below this article.
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Historical Evidence
For more information, please see…
Aveni, Anthony. The Book of the Year: A Brief History of Our Holidays. Oxford University Press, 2004.
Forbes, Bruce David. America’s Favorite Holidays: Candid Histories. University of California Press, 2015.
The featured image in this article, a digital scan courtesy of The Cleveland Public Library Microform Center of Theda Bara giving candy to orphan girls, first published in The Cleveland Press on October 5, 1921, is in the public domain in the United States. This applies to U.S. works where the copyright has expired, often because its first publication occurred prior to January 1, 1924, and if not then due to lack of notice or renewal. See this page for further explanation.
