Sweetest Day is celebrated on the third Saturday in October and focuses on spreading kindness and appreciation. While it’s often associated with giving sweets, the day is not limited to romantic gestures. It’s a chance to show kindness to anyone, whether friends, family, or even strangers.
Though it might seem similar to Valentine’s Day, Sweetest Day has its own flavor. Historically, it was a day when women would give gifts to their partners, but the modern version is much broader. You can celebrate by doing anything that feels right, whether it’s giving candy, sharing thoughtful words, or performing an act of kindness.
ℹ️ On October 25th we celebrate Sourest Day which is a playful nod to balance in life—since Sweetest Day is also celebrated in October.
The History of Sweetest Day
Sweetest Day began in 1921 in Cleveland, Ohio, when a group of confectioners decided to create a day for giving away candy to people in need. The holiday was first unofficially celebrated on October 10, 1921, and officially became recognized in 1922. Originally known as “Candy Day,” it naturally revolved around sweets, and it has continued to be celebrated every year since.
Although it started as a regional holiday, primarily celebrated in the Great Lakes area (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin), it has since spread to places like Florida. Despite its long history, Sweetest Day is still mostly a Midwestern tradition.
When is Sweetest Day Celebrated?
Sweetest Day is celebrated on the third Saturday of October each year. Here are the dates for the upcoming years:
| Year | Date, Day |
|---|---|
| 2024 | October 19, Saturday |
| 2025 | October 18, Saturday |
| 2026 | October 17, Saturday |
| 2027 | October 16, Saturday |
| 2028 | October 21, Saturday |
| 2029 | October 20, Saturday |
| 2030 | October 19, Saturday |
Fun Facts about Sweetest Day
- Origins: Sweetest Day was first celebrated in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1921, with candy donations to people in need. The first official celebration followed in 1922.
- Alternate Names: Originally, the holiday was called “Candy Day” because it focused on giving away sweets.
- Hallmark Cards: Although Sweetest Day isn’t technically a Hallmark holiday, Hallmark started producing cards for the day in the 1960s.
- Regional Holiday: Sweetest Day is mainly celebrated in 11 U.S. states, with the Midwest being the most enthusiastic region.
Sweetest Day Hashtags
To get your Sweetest Day posts noticed on social media, here are some popular hashtags:
- #SweetestDay
- #SweetestDayEver
- #SpreadKindness
- #RandomActsOfKindness
- #MakeSomeoneSmile
- #CelebrateLove
- #BeKind
- #GiftGiving
- #CelebrateKindness
- #SmallGestures
Before You Go:
We have many more national days lists for you to explore.
- Food-related national days: complete list of national food days, pasta & noodles days, vegan & vegetarian days, mushroom days, ice-cream days, pizza days, coffee days, chocolate days, wine days, alcohol & drinking days.
- Non-food national days: National Days Calendar 2025 (check out the printable calendars in my Etsy shop), National Days for Teachers, and a wide array of special lists such as cat days, dog days, animal days, cleaning & organizing days, book days, music days, family & relationships days, national days for women, stationery days and even Harry Potter days.
- Country-specific national days: Australian national days, more coming soon.
This article was originally published on August 27, 2021. It has been completely rewritten, so the publication date has been updated accordingly.
