You scream, I scream, we all scream for ice cream! Sunday is the perfect day to do so because it is National Ice Cream Day!
In honor of the occasion, here’s a bit of information about National Ice Cream Day, my new favorite holiday, and some fun facts about ice cream:
* In 1984, President Ronald Reagan designated the third Sunday in July National Ice Cream Day and said that July should be National Ice Cream Month. Reagan said that it should be observed with “appropriate ceremonies and activities.” You know what to do, people. It’s your patriotic duty. Have a cone, sundae, shake, or the like for the Gipper.
* 90 percent of U.S. households purchase ice cream.
* Approximately 9 percent of all the milk produced by U.S. dairy farmers is used to produce ice cream, which the International Dairy Foods Association says contributes “significantly to the economic well-being of the nation’s dairy industry.”’
* It takes 12 pounds of milk to make one gallon of ice cream, according to icecream.com.
* Each year, the average American consumes 48 pints of ice cream per year. Americans eat more ice cream than any other country.
* Marco Polo reportedly tasted ice cream while exploring China and the idea is one of the many he brought back to his home country of Italy. Historians surmise that his recipe was actually more like sherbet and it evolved into ice cream over time.
* Reagan wasn’t the only president who enjoyed ice cream. President George Washington allocated a total of $200 towards ice cream expenses during the summer of 1790. Thomas Jefferson developed a taste for it in France when he was the U.S. Ambassador there and the Library of Congress has a recipe for it in Jefferson’s own hand. You can get the recipe, as well as a modernized version of it, here.
* By federal law, ice cream must contain at least 10% milkfat, before the addition of bulky ingredients, and must weigh a minimum of 4.5 pounds to the gallon.
* Vanilla is the most popular ice cream flavor, and chocolate is the second most popular flavor.
* Ice cream headaches are so common that the Mayo Clinic has an entire section devoted to them. You can check it out here. I’ve always heard that to relieve the headache, press your tongue up against the roof of your mouth. The Mayo Clinic does not offer that as a solution, though.
Enjoying a cold treat together on a hot can be a special way to connect with your kids over the summer. It’s amazing how ice cream can get kids talking, about their summer, what their favorite flavor is, what an ice cream shop would be like if they were in charge.
Click here for info on some special deals in honor of National Ice Cream Day. Happy celebrating, and may you not get an ice cream headache!
Please like Mom Factually on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.