Sweetest Day, similar to Valentine’s Day, was created by Herbert Birch Kingston in 1922 to show love and care to those who are overlooked by society, especially disadvantaged children. It is celebrated on the third Saturday in October in the northeastern region of the United States, and people distribute candy or small gifts to those in need. The focus should be on those who do not normally receive attention from friends or family. Sweetest Day can kick-start charitable giving and remind people that the less fortunate need assistance all year round.
Many people are familiar with Valentine’s Day, a day traditionally set aside for the expression of romantic and familial love, often with chocolates. Sweetest Day is a somewhat similar tradition. Yet it was specially designed to express love and care for those who were routinely overlooked by society.
Sweetest Day was the brainchild of Herbert Birch Kingston, who worked for a confectionary company in Cleveland, Ohio. He felt that there were many children, especially orphans and poor children, who weren’t necessarily getting the attention they deserved. So in 1922 he inaugurated the first Sweetest Day to distribute boxes of sweets to mainly disadvantaged children.
Since harvest day was the third Saturday in October, this has become the traditional time to celebrate the sweetest day. Among those handing out candy were community activists, several prominent actresses, and, of course, Kingston. The tradition was so cherished that people often looked beyond philanthropy to treat their friends or family with treats on the Sweetest Day.
In the United States, the sweetest day is celebrated mainly in the northeastern region of the United States, always on the third Saturday in October. Yet news of the tradition, which began nearly 100 years ago, has spread to other parts of the country, especially as people who used to live in those areas have moved elsewhere. People may distribute candy or small gifts to those in convalescent homes, hospitals, foster homes, or psychiatric institutions, and they may also treat friends and family members with small gifts of the heart.
In keeping with the original tradition, celebrating the Sweetest Day should really be focused on people who are not normally lucky enough to receive attention from friends or family, due to difficult family circumstances or poverty. This can be a great tradition to start if your community doesn’t celebrate the day regularly, and there are many candy makers who are willing to help donate or cut costs on gifts meant for people in unfortunate circumstances.
Although Thanksgiving is often a time when people are most generous with gifts of food to the poor, Sweeter Day, which occurs a month earlier, can kick-start charitable giving and remind people that the less fortunate tend to to need assistance all year round. Children are often fascinated by this holiday and are excellent at organizing initiatives to help others. If you have a few kids who are looking for a good community project, chances are helping them organize Sweetest Days and teaching them its history will result in avid participation.
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