Brian’s Blog: National Lollipop Day [VIDEO]

Today's the day we celebrate that sweet treat on a stick!

Tootsie Pops, Charms, Dum Dums. They all fall under the category of the lollipop. It seems they've been around forever, but here in the United States, the lollipop hasn't actually been around that long.

According to Wikipedia,

The idea of an edible candy on a stick is very simple, and it is probable that the lollipop has been invented and reinvented numerous times. The history of the first lollipops in America appears to have been distorted over time. There is some speculation that lollipops were invented during the American Civil War (1861–1865). Others believe some version of the lollipop has been around since the early 1800's. George Smith claimed to be the first to invent the modern style lollipop in 1908 and trademarked the lollipop name in 1931. He used the idea of putting candy on a stick to make it easier to eat and reportedly named the treats after a popular racing horse, Lolly Pop. The word "lolly pop" dates to 1784, but initially referred to soft, rather than hard candy. The term may have derived from the term "lolly" (tongue) and "pop" (slap). The first references to the lollipop in its modern context date to the 1920s. Alternatively, it may be a word of Romany origin being related to the Roma tradition of selling toffee apples sold on a stick. Red apple in the Romany language is loli phaba.

No matter the origin, Americans eat a ton of lollipops every year.
What's your favorite type?

To celebrate National Lollipop Day, here's a classic commercial.

This website has some fantastic lollipops!