What is Sweetest Day? According to American Greetings, 44% of people surveyed think Sweetest Day is just another made-up holiday to sell more cards and gifts. I'm surprised that 44% of people even know Sweetest Day exists. I had never heard of the holiday until my brother's girlfriend from Ohio explained it to me- and it makes sense that she introduced me to Sweetest Day, since it originated in Ohio.
The true origins of Sweetest Day, according to Sandy Mitchell at About.com, are much more, well, sweet than the old "Halmark made it up" story lets on. Mitchell says the holiday was started by Herbert Birch Kingston of Cleveland during the Great Depression. Kingston wanted to do something thoughtful for the less fortunate, so he gave out thousands of boxes of candy throughout the city. Residents of Cleveland began to recreate the tradition yearly, and word spread throughout Ohio and later to other areas of the United States.
In 2012, Sweetest Day will be celebrated on October 20th. Made up or not, if you are lucky enough to have a sweetie, it's always a good day to celebrate. Here are a few sweet gift ideas from Wisconsinmade.com:
For a sweetie as lovely as a rose, chocolate roses.
For a sweetie who Backs the Pack, a Packer Chocolate Gift Box:
For an artistic sweetie, hand-painted Kohler chocolates:
Visit Wisconsinmade.com for more sweet gifts for Sweetest Day!
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