Have you heard of Sweetest Day? Me neither. But recently, while shop-hopping at Fashion’s Night Out in Los Angeles, my friend noted that she was trying to be good by not buying everything in sight because Sweetest Day was coming up and her hubby had just bought her some amazing vintage cocktail rings to celebrate it. Say what?
It turns out that Sweetest Day, which takes place on the third Saturday in October (this year Sweetest Day will take place this Saturday, October 15th), is mostly celebrated in Ohio (where my lucky friend hails from) and the Great Lakes region.
(Note to self: My parents are from Ohio…Why did they keep this from me and how can I make them pay up for lost time?! Hmmm… Must consult Judge Judy, stat.)
Rumors point to Sweetest Day being a Hallmark holiday, but it turns out that a nice man by the name of Herbert Birch Kingston, who worked at a candy factory in Cleveland, Ohio, actually started the holiday in 1922 as a way of doing something nice for the city’s less fortunate and often forgotten residents: the sick, the elderly, and the orphaned. Sweet indeed. So, with the help of some film stars and neighbors, he gathered up and passed out boxes of candy to local hospitals and orphanages.
These days, Sweetest Day is a mini-Valentine’s Day of sorts, where husbands and wives, boyfriends and girlfriends, and friends and relatives, celebrate those who have shown them kindness. Sometimes that’s with a card, or a special dinner for two, or with a box of candy or, for some lucky ducks, with envy-inducing vintage jewels. That’s just the kind of holiday I can get behind. How about you?
Of course, as residents of Ohio start to migrate to other areas of the country, the holiday has begun to spread and anyone who wants to get in on the Sweetest Day fun can celebrate.
Will you be celebrating Sweetest Day? Is it a holiday you have heard of or is this news to you? I’d love to know. For those of you who celebrate Sweetest Day, do you have any favorite gifts you have given or received over the years? Please share in the comments!
p.s. I think this is a great way to spend Sweetest Day!
[Top photo: DIY pillow by In Between Laundry; second photo: handmade heart cut-out dress dress by kayemkay; third photo: via Nicole Allen’s Pinterest; fourth photo: via Le Love; last photo: handmade fox plush by RoyalMint]
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I lived in Ohio for 8 years and never hear of the Sweetest Day. I’m upset I missed out on some sweet gifts. sniff… sniff.