National Fudge Day

National Fudge Day is celebrated every year on June 16. The observance gives people a reason to make — or just eat — a batch of fudge. The day has been around for a long time. It was mentioned on some websites as early as 2007 and appeared in The 2009 Weird & Wacky Holiday Marketing Guide, though exactly when it started remains unknown.

National Fudge Day is often celebrated with homemade fudge, visits to local candy shops, or fudge-tasting parties. It also gives small fudge makers and tourist shops a chance to promote their unique flavors and methods.

National Fudge Day Facts & Trivia

Here are a few facts about fudge that you might want to mention when writing a post or creating a video about National Fudge Day.

• The earliest known reference to fudge comes from an 1886 letter by Emelyn Battersby Hartridge, a student at Vassar College, who described purchasing fudge in Baltimore for 40 cents a pound.

• Fudge became a popular treat in American women’s colleges during the late 1800s. Students at Vassar, Wellesley, and Smith created their own recipes, often preparing batches in their dorm rooms.

• Mackinac Island in Michigan is famously associated with fudge. Since 1887, it has been home to several fudge shops that continue to make the candy by hand. Tourists visiting the island are often nicknamed “fudgies.”

• One popular theory suggests fudge was invented by accident when someone botched a batch of caramels—hence the term “fudged.”

• Fudge gained popularity partly because it was easy and inexpensive to make at home. As sugar prices dropped in the late 19th century, more people could afford to experiment with making candy.

• The word “fudge” existed long before the candy. In the 17th century, it was used as an exclamation by sailors and could mean nonsense or clumsy fabrication.

• Although chocolate is the most common flavor, fudge can be made in endless varieties, including maple, vanilla, pumpkin spice, and even bacon-flavored versions.

• Recipes for fudge began appearing in newspapers and cookbooks during the 1880s and 1890s, helping spread its popularity throughout the United States.

• On Mackinac Island, some fudge shops use marble slabs to cool and shape the candy—a traditional method that helps control the crystallization process for a smoother texture.