- Categories:
- Food & Beverage
- Tags:
- ChocolateFruit
- Where:
- United States
- Date change rule:
- Every January 3
- Holiday emoji:
- 🍒🍫
National Chocolate Covered Cherry Day celebrates the delightful combination of sweet cherries and rich chocolate every January 3. This beloved confection offers a perfect post-holiday treat as the new year begins. Indulge in a box, try a new recipe, or share this luscious dessert with friends and family.
Want to sponsor National Chocolate Covered Cherry Day? Learn how
Expected National Chocolate Covered Cherry Day Deals
While we await official 2027 promotions, history shows that National Chocolate Covered Cherry Day often inspires sweet deals. Expect confectioners like See’s Candies and Russell Stover to offer discounts on their signature chocolate-covered cherries. Gourmet food retailers such as Harry & David may feature special gift boxes, while local bakeries might introduce limited-edition cherry chocolate desserts. Keep an eye out for promotions from chocolate brands like Ghirardelli and Godiva, which often highlight cherry-infused treats. We will update this page with confirmed live deals as January 3 approaches.
Platform Guide for National Chocolate Covered Cherry Day
TikTok
Tag @www.nationaltoday.com and use #ChocolateCoveredCherryDay. Share a fun video of you making or enjoying your favorite chocolate-covered cherries.
Tag @nationaltoday_ and use #ChocolateCoveredCherryDay. Post a visually appealing photo of your chocolate-covered cherry creations or store-bought favorites.
Mention National Today (facebook.com/nationaltoday) and use #ChocolateCoveredCherryDay. Share your favorite chocolate-covered cherry recipe or a memory associated with this treat.
National Chocolate Covered Cherry Day Hero
Joseph B. Cella
History of National Chocolate Covered Cherry Day
Chocolate covered cherries, also known as cherry cordials, have been enjoyed by Americans and indeed the world for generations. Early settlers from Europe were so fond of cherries they made sure that some were stashed among the cargo when they sailed the Atlantic Ocean to reach America in the 1600s.
Although there are a variety of cherries now considered to be native to North America, the common belief is that cherries originated in Turkey. Cherries are known to be one of the oldest cultivated crops in the world and it seems as though our love of cherries is deeply ingrained in human culture.
The English began soaking sweet cherries in kirsch, a cherry brandy, and covering them with chocolate in the 1700s. These cordials, as they were known, were savored for their intoxicating effects, and reserved for holidays. The French created a similar confection called Griottes around the same time using a sour cherry called a griotte, which they also soaked in kirsch and smothered in chocolate. Both English cordials and French Griottes made their way to America in the 1700s and immediately became in demand to no one’s surprise.
Americans began making cordials using a strong, sugary syrup liqueur by crushing whole cherries, cooking them in sugar and brandy, then covering with chocolate. These became known as cherry cordials, but other fruits were also made into cordials using the same brandy and sugar method. Cherry cordials were the most popular and usually reserved for holidays and special festivities. Eventually, the alcohol was removed from the recipe during prohibition, and cherry cordials were instead made with cherry flavored sugar syrup. By 1929 the first chocolate covered–cherries made with sugar syrup and no alcohol began to be mass–produced in America to meet the increased demand.
Today we celebrate–chocolate covered cherries of all persuasions – dark, milk, even white chocolate varieties. We love to savor a cherry cordial after dinner made with sweet liqueurs and the nip of kirsch brandy but are always eager to indulge in a sweet sugar syrup centered chocolate–covered cherry as a late afternoon delight. Whichever you prefer, make sure you treat yourself for National Chocolate Covered Cherry Day.
National Chocolate Covered Cherry Day timeline
Tootsie Roll Industries, Inc. purchases Cella’s Confections, Inc. and continues to sell the popular confection under the Cella brand name.
Rival confectioner Queen Anne’s Cordial Cherry is introduced and begins commercially manufacturing chocolate covered cherries.
Cella is the first confectioner to commercially manufacture chocolate covered cherries on a large scale.
Italian immigrant confectioner Angelo Cella begins making cherry cordials in America.
How Businesses Can Celebrate National Chocolate Covered Cherry Day
Local businesses can sweeten National Chocolate Covered Cherry Day by offering special promotions and themed treats. Bakeries and cafes can feature limited-edition chocolate-covered cherry pastries, cakes, or hot chocolate. Candy shops can highlight their selection of chocolate-covered cherries with discounts or special gift packaging. Restaurants might incorporate chocolate-covered cherry elements into their dessert menus or offer a complimentary cherry cordial with certain meals. Even non-food businesses could host a tasting event or give away small boxes of chocolate-covered cherries to customers.
National Chocolate Covered Cherry Day FAQs
When is National Chocolate Covered Cherry Day?
In 2027, National Chocolate Covered Cherry Day is observed on Sunday, January 3, making it a perfect start to the new year with a sweet confection.
How popular are chocolate-covered cherries?
As a classic candy, chocolate-covered cherries maintain a strong presence in the confectionery market, consistently ranking among top-selling boxed chocolates. Approximately 150 million pounds of cherries are grown in the U.S. each year, with a significant portion destined for such treats.
What are the main ingredients in chocolate-covered cherries?
A traditional chocolate-covered cherry features a plump maraschino cherry, often soaked in a cordial, surrounded by a sugary cream or fondant, and then enrobed in a layer of rich chocolate. The quality of each component greatly influences the final taste.
What is the history of chocolate-covered cherries?
Chocolate-covered cherries emerged as a popular confection in America around the late 1800s and early 1900s. The process of encasing a cherry and its liquid center in chocolate was a confectionery innovation that quickly captured the public’s sweet tooth.
National Chocolate Covered Cherry Day Activities
Host a cherry cordial pairing party
Invite your pals over to sample a “flight” of cherry cordials, paired with different wines or spirits. Include a variety of tempting cordials – dark, milk, and white chocolate –some with liqueur, some without. To get everyone in a jovial chocolate-covered mood we suggest watching the classic television sitcom “I Love Lucy” episode where Lucy and Ethel get jobs wrapping chocolates in a candy factory.
Treat others to a chocolate-covered cherry afternoon delight
Pick up a box or two of freshly made cordials from a local confectioner for the office or family. Few people can resist the temptation of a luscious cherry smothered in chocolate, nor will they forget who shared the indulgence.
Plant a cherry tree
Urban legend has it that America’s first president, George Washington, chopped down a family cherry tree as a child, much to his father’s dismay. When confronted, little George admitted to the terrible deed with “I cannot tell a lie.” We have no idea whether this story is fact or fiction or what would provoke George to do such a thing. But now that we know how cherished cherries were in colonial America, we finally understand why this odd story made its way into elementary history books. We think the story is a good enough reason to plant a cherry tree on National Chocolate Covered Cherry Day, in memory of the tree little George chopped down.
Five Random Facts About Cherries
Turkish Heritage
Cherries derive their name from the Turkish town of Cerasus.
Washington leads the way
Washington State grows more sweet cherries than any other region in America.
The wider family
Cherries are related to plums and more distantly to peaches and nectarines.
Go dark
Darker cherries have higher antioxidant and vitamin levels than lighter ones.
Go sour
Sour cherries have higher levels of antioxidants and vitamins than sweet cherries.
Social Media Tips for National Chocolate Covered Cherry Day
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