July 20, 2026, A Sweet Day for Lollipops 437 words

Today we celebrate National Lollipop Day. This treat has a long history. The ancient Egyptians, Arabs, and Chinese created a honey, fruit, and nut mixture warmed over an open flame to produce a golden caramel-like confection. This mixture was rolled around a reed or stick to keep the sticky concoction away from fingers. Bamboo, reeds, and sticks were used to form funnel shapes around the stick to form a handle. The treats were allowed to air dry to harden for special festivals. They were made as offerings to the spirits and gods as well as enjoyed by the populations. In medieval times, given medicinal properties, they were eaten as lozenges for sore throats.
Medieval people made twisted sticks from a mixture of sugar and honey. They twisted the mixture when warm. The candy would hold its shape when cooled. The candy was chewed on as a cure for coughs and throat irritations. Licorice, saffron, ginger, cinnamon, and comfrey were added for healing properties.
In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, sugar became cheaper. The mixture was cooked to a hard ball when cooled, forming a hardened sugary treat to suck on. Additives for color included compounds of copper, familiar for a bright red-orange color. Many of these mixtures were toxic in large doses. Indigo was added for a blue hue.
The Lollipop as we know it was invented by George Smith. He started selling his treat in 1908. He named it after a popular racehorse. Lolli can be slang for a sweet. Some dialects refer to the term as a tongue sweet.
The Tootsie Pop was invented in 1931. Luke Weisgram, a worker at the American candy company, got the idea after licking his daughter’s lollipop while he chewed on a Tootsie Roll. He enjoyed the two different tastes and textures.
Since then, Lollies or suckers now come in sour, tropical fruits. Tootsie Pops now come in chewy fruit flavors. Lollies now have some unusual flavors. The Dum Dum sucker’s newest flavor includes caramel apple, fried banana, and pickle. Whatever your taste preference, there is a candy just for you.
**. poem
Tootsie
In 1907, Leo Hirschfield invented the tootsie roll.
Named it after his daughter Clair’s nickname.
The candy contained sugar, cornstarch and cocoa.
This treat doesn’t melt in your hand.
Each new batch of tootsies are mixed with a left over batch.
This is to keep the taste consistent from batch to batch.
The candy roll is scored to allow pieces to be broken off.
The original chocolate has expanded to include many fruit flavors.
Try a new chew.
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copyrighted 7/20/26`