National Lollipop Day: The Sweet Treats That Had Us in a Chokehold

Today is National Lollipop Day, and you already know I could not let a candy holiday pass without joining the celebration! After all, I am Ms. Kandi Eastman—“the only Kandi your mom wants you to have”—so this day feels like it was made especially for me. Lollipops are one of those simple treats that can instantly take you back to childhood. Whether you received one after a doctor’s appointment, grabbed one from the corner store or found your favorite flavor inside a birthday-party goodie bag, everybody has a lollipop memory. Some of us loved the fruity ones, some wanted gum in the middle and others were committed to those slow, sticky caramel pops that practically required an appointment with the dentist afterward.

Let’s begin with the Blow Pop, because that one gives you two candies in one. You start with the hard fruit-flavored shell and finish with bubble gum in the center, assuming you have enough patience not to bite through it too early. Then there is the Tootsie Pop, the candy that has had generations asking how many licks it really takes to reach the chewy Tootsie Roll center. Sugar Daddies deserve a place in the conversation too. That solid caramel lollipop was not for anybody in a hurry. You had to work your way through it slowly and hope it did not pull out a filling along the way. And we cannot forget Caramel Apple Pops! That combination of tart green-apple candy covered in chewy caramel gave us the taste of a caramel apple without needing a fall festival. They were sweet, sour, sticky and so good that the caramel getting stuck in your teeth almost felt worth it. I also have to show love to those old-fashioned caramel slab-style lollipops Ms. Kandi remembers, because sometimes the best candy is the kind that reminds you of a neighborhood shop or a family favorite from before everything became trendy.

The fun does not stop with the classics. Baby Bottle Pops made eating candy feel like an entire activity, with flavored powder you could dip the lollipop into again and again. Rock candy lollipops turned sugar crystals into something that looked almost too pretty to eat, while giant rainbow swirl pops made every child feel like they had won the candy-store lottery. Then you have Dum Dums, Charms Pops and all those little mystery flavors we grabbed without even checking the wrapper. That is the beauty of lollipops: they can be fruity, sour, creamy, chewy, filled, oversized or simple, but they all deliver a little moment of happiness. So today, grab your favorite, share one with somebody you love and let yourself feel like a kid again. Just remember to brush your teeth afterward, because Ms. Kandi wants you smiling long after the sugar is gone!