Gummi Worm Day

Trolli, a German confectionery company, created gummi worms in 1981. Some sources claim that the worms slithered onto the scene on July 15, the date on which we now mark Gummi Worm Day. Trolli created them in an effort to have a candy that might put parents off a bit. They were 5cm long and had two colors and flavors which met in the middle.

The first gummies were bears, however. They were created by Hans Riegel Sr., a candy maker from Bonn, Germany, who was the founder of Haribo, another German confectionery company. Some sources say they debuted in 1920, while others say they didn't arrive until 1922. Still, other sources say they were released on July 15, 1921, and that gummi worms were first sold on the 60th anniversary of their release. They were named "gummi" on account of their rubbery texture: "gummi" means "rubber" in German. They were originally officially named "Dancing Bears", but their name was changed to "Gummi Bears" in 1967.

Gummi bears were imported into the United States for years, where the name "gummi" was Americanized to "gummy." The first gummy bears to be made in the country were manufactured by the Herman Goelitz Company—now the Jelly Belly Candy Company—in 1981. The following year, Haribo came to the United States. Gummy bears soon became widespread in the country.

There are other shapes of gummi candy, such as bugs and hamburgers, but along with bears, worms are the most popular. Presently, many brands market gummi worms. They can be sweet or sour, and some are topped with sugar. Although the originals were 5 cm in length, many are now made to be 10 to 25 cm long. No matter what kind they are, we celebrate them today, on Gummi Worm Day!

How to Observe Gummi Worm Day

Spend the day indulging in gummi worms! Any brand could be eaten, but picking some up from Trolli may be the best since they were the first company to manufacture them. You could also make homemade worms or make a dirt cake and put some worms on top of it.

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