National Strawberry Sundae Day

Sundaes are ice cream desserts with one or more scoops of ice cream with sauces or syrups, and often with other toppings such as fruits, maraschino cherries, nuts, sprinkles, and whipped cream. Sundaes can also be made with other desserts similar to ice cream, such as custard or frozen yogurt. The "classic" sundae has vanilla ice cream topped with a flavored sauce or syrup, such as chocolate or strawberry, as well as whipped cream and a maraschino cherry. Today the topping is strawberries, because it's National Strawberry Sundae Day! Strawberry sundaes are one of the most popular fresh fruit sundaes, and fresh strawberries are the perfect food for a summer day. They can be chopped or sliced before topping the sundae, or be left whole. Strawberry sauce or syrup may also be used to make today's strawberry sundaes.

There are a few stories as to how and where sundaes got their start. One says it was in Two Rivers, Wisconsin, in 1881. There, George Hallauer ordered an ice cream dish at Ed Berner's soda fountain. His dish gained popularity, and other nearby fountains began serving it. It was George Giffy, who owned a fountain in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, who decided to serve it only on Sundays—hence the name it received.

Another story says that in Evanston, Illinois, in the 1890s, moralists were speaking out against drinking soda water on the Sabbath. In response, confectioners decided to create "Sundays," which had ice cream and flavored syrups instead of soda water. Another early name for the dessert was "Soda-less Soda." To remove any connection to the Sabbath, "Sundays" eventually became known as "sundaes."

Other cities have claimed to be the originator of the sundae, including Ann Arbor, Michigan; Ithaca, New York; Norfolk, Virginia; and Washington, D.C. No matter where they were created, they were wildly popular by the turn of the twentieth century and were served in dishes shaped like tulips that became known as sundae glasses. Around this time, many variations of the sundae were created as well.

How to Observe National Strawberry Sundae Day

Celebrate by having a strawberry sundae at a restaurant, ice cream parlor, or custard stand—or make one at home! Make sure to look for places celebrating the day, and for specials and deals in honor of it. For example, locations such as senior centers have celebrated the day, as have restaurants such as Culver's. Post how you are celebrating on social media along with a photo of your sundae.

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