If you head to your local grocery store, you’ll soon realize that popcorn comes in many different forms. There’s plain, unsalted, and unbuttered popcorn, of course, but there are also numerous other types of popcorn. There’s buttered popcorn, caramel popcorn, kettle corn, and an almost endless array of flavored popcorn types. And that’s not even factoring in the different types of popcorn kernels, the colors of the popcorn kernels, and how they’re packaged.

That should show you just how popular it is in American culture, and that’s not surprising considering that popcorn is America’s favorite snack food. It’s also the reason why there’s a holiday dedicated to this simple but delicious snack food. A holiday that falls on January 19th and is aptly named National Popcorn Day.

The History of National Popcorn Day

The origins of this holiday are currently unknown, at least to us, but many people claim that it started because of the Super Bowl. We’re not sure what the Super Bowl has to do with popcorn, but that is what some people say. Regardless of who started this holiday, however, the one thing that we can say for sure is that this holiday has been celebrated since 2005.

Fun Popcorn Facts

Now that we’ve introduced this holiday to everyone reading this article, we thought it was time for us to turn our attention to talking about some of the most fascinating facts about popcorn that we could unearth. As we did our research on this holiday, we came across a variety of facts that we thought were pretty interesting. Of course, you’ll ultimately be the judge of just how interesting they really are, so let’s dig right into them and find out.

• Americans eat about 17 billion quarts of popcorn every single year. That’s over 52 quarts for every man, woman, and child in the U.S.
• Every year, the amount of popcorn consumed by Americans increases by about 5%.
• Not surprisingly, popcorn is the number one snack food in the U.S.
• Approximately 66% of all the popcorn eaten in the United States is consumed at home. The other 33% is served at various sporting events, festivals, and movie theaters.
• In Illinois, popcorn is the official snack food. The state also has its own Popcorn Day, which has been celebrated since 1958.
• The biggest popcorn ball in the world was 12 feet in diameter and weighed over 5,000 pounds. It required 2,000 pounds of corn, 4,900 pounds of sugar, and 280 gallons of corn syrup.
• If you’re popping corn at home, then you’ll want to know that two tablespoons of kernels cost about a quarter and make about a quart of popcorn.
• Americans buy about 90% of their popcorn in unpopped form.
• Most of the popcorn eaten around the world is grown in the United States.
• Popcorn has more iron than eggs and spinach. It also has more fiber than potato chips.
• Nebraska produces about 250 million pounds of popcorn every single year.
• Nebraska produces 25% of all the popcorn the United States produces each year.
• The Aztecs used popcorn during their ceremonies.

The Four Most Popular Popcorn Kernel Colors

Although some people think that popcorn kernels are always yellow, that is simply not the case. There are a wide variety of different types of popcorn kernels in a virtual rainbow of colors. And in this section, we’re going to go over the four most popular types.

• Yellow Popcorn: This popcorn is inexpensive and common. It has a nutty flavor.
• Red Popcorn: This popcorn is smaller than other varieties. It’s light, pops white, and has a nutty flavor.
• White Popcorn: This popcorn has a neutral flavor, so it’s a good base for adding various popcorn seasonings.
• Blue Popcorn: This popcorn pops white and has a light, nutty flavor.

Customs, Traditions, and Celebrations Associated with National Popcorn Day

The main way to celebrate National Popcorn Day is by enjoying this snack in one of its many forms. You can enjoy white popcorn, yellow popcorn, red popcorn, or blue popcorn kernels. You can make your own popcorn from kernels, make microwave popcorn, or enjoy a bag of already popped popcorn. It doesn’t matter. All that matters is that you enjoy this snack food in some capacity. This can mean eating it, making popcorn necklaces, or using it for arts and crafts projects. Go ahead and have fun with it. After all, National Popcorn Day comes but once a year.

In Conclusion

This holiday allows people to not only enjoy popcorn but also to come together and enjoy the company of their friends and family while they’re enjoying this popcorn. It’s also a day on which all Americans can make sure that popcorn remains the number one snack food in the U.S. by buying adequate supplies of it on this holiday.