Depending on where you grew up in the country, Sweetest Day might be circled in hearts on your calendar or you might be scratching your head wandering what it is. No matter which of these groups you fall into, we’ve got you covered.
Today, we’re going to share literally everything you could ever want to know about Sweetest Day like when it is, how to celebrate, what states it’s most popular in, and so much more.
- When Sweetest Day Happens
- Where Sweetest Day is Most Popular.
- The History Behind Sweetest Day
- How to Celebrate the Holiday Together
When is Sweetest Day?
Before we dig in, let’s talk about when Sweetest Day happens every year, so you don’t miss out.
Sweetest Day happens on the third Saturday of October every year in the U.S.
Here’s the date for this year and the next 10 years:
- October 18, 2025
- October 17, 2026
- October 16, 2027
- October 21, 2028
- October 20, 2029
- October 19, 2030
- October 18, 2031
- October 16, 2032
- October 15, 2033
- October 21, 2034
- October 20, 2035
Worried about forgetting? We get that. There are so many romantic holidays out there that it’s hard to keep track of them all. If you want some help (for free), you should download the LoveTrack app. It’s a 100% free (actually free) couples app and date night planner that sends you date and anniversary reminders for your significant other’s birthday, your anniversary, and other romantic holidays (like Sweetest Day).
Here’s which states Sweetest Day is most popular.
What you may or may not know is that unlike Valentine’s Day, Sweetest Day is not popular throughout the entire country. In fact, when you look at Google Trends data for people searching about the holiday, only 21 states even register as having any meaningful volume!
Here are the top 10 states where Sweetest Day is the most popular, based on Google Trends search volume (how often people are looking for information about the holiday).
- Michigan – 100
- Ohio – 65
- Illinois – 62
- Wisconsin – 40
- Indiana – 27
- Kentucky – 8
- Tennessee – 7
- Georgia – 6
- Missouri – 6
- Minnesota – 5
Note: The numbers indicate the volume of the search with higher numbers indicating more search volume. The number one spot is always based at 100 and is not reflective of the volume of search terms as a whole.
The History – Sweetest Day dates back to the early 1900s.
Unlike many other romantic holidays that don’t have a clear origin story, the history of Sweetest Day is surprisingly well documented and undisputed. Here’s the timeline history of the holiday.
- 1916 – The National Confectioners’ Association launches “Candy Day,” promoting candy as “The Sweetest Day in the Year.”
- 1917 – The event is canceled due to sugar rationing during World War I.
- 1921 – Cleveland advertising executive Herbert Birch Kingston and local candy makers revive the idea, distributing candy to orphans, the elderly, and the poor.
- 1922 – The event is officially named “Sweetest Day,” with over 20,000 boxes of candy handed out in Cleveland.
- 1920s – 1930s – Movie stars and public figures promote Sweetest Day, helping spread it across the Great Lakes region.
- 1940s – 1950s – The holiday becomes more romantic in nature, with candy and greeting card companies marketing it to couples.
- 1960s – 1980s – Sweetest Day grows in popularity throughout the Midwest, especially in Ohio, Michigan, and Illinois.
- 1990s – Hallmark begins producing Sweetest Day cards, cementing its reputation as a “Hallmark-style holiday.”
- 2000s – Present – The day is widely celebrated as a smaller, regional “second Valentine’s Day,” focusing on showing love and appreciation to partners, friends, and those in need.
A few ideas to celebrate Sweetest Day together
Now that you know when it’s happening, where it’s happening, and why it’s happening, it’s time to talk about celebrating.
Before we share those tips, here is something INCREDIBLY important.
If you live in a state where Sweetest Day isn’t wildly popular, but you’re dating or married to someone who used to live in one of these states (even when they were growing up), expect them to expect you to celebrate!
And even if you don’t live in one of these areas and your partner didn’t either, you can still totally celebrate! We think that any fun opportunity to celebrate your love is one you should take advantage of.
With that said, here are some simple but fun ways to celebrate Sweetest Day.
- Think of it like Valentine’s Day lite. – If you’re looking for inspiration, think about how you’d normally celebrate Valentine’s Day as a couple, and then dial that back one notch. For example, if you go to a fancy restaurant for Valentine’s Day, maybe go out to eat, but somewhere a little less over-the-top fancy.
- You don’t have to spend any money. – To be clear, you can celebrate Sweetest Day without spending any money if budget is tight. Make a card, plan a fun low or no-cost date night idea, or write a nice note to your special someone. You totally can get them something or spend money doing something, but you don’t have to.
- Look to the usual staples of romantic holidays. – Flowers, chocolates, treats – you can’t go wrong with the normal staples. That said, we’d recommend prioritizing candies, chocolates, baked goods, and other sweets just because the history of the holiday is that it’s all about that sugar!
- Talk about the holiday beforehand. – Because Sweetest Day isn’t popular everywhere, it might be worth talking about the holiday with your partner to see if you’re planning on celebrating. The worst thing that could happen is you get them something and they don’t get you anything, not because they don’t care, but because they don’t know about the holiday. If you want to avoid this altogether, you could get them to download the free LoveTrack app and they’ll get notifications about it with more information!