June 10 — World Ice Cream Day: interesting facts

Every year in early summer, many countries around the world, including Russia, celebrate a delicious holiday — World Ice Cream Day. The celebration has no official status, but attracts thousands of sweet lovers around the world every year. Izvestia tells about the history of the cold delicacy and the traditions of the holiday in its honor.

When is Ice Cream Day in 2025

Every year, World Ice Cream Day is celebrated on June 10. It is believed that it was on this day in 1786 that its mass sales began in the United States.

In 2025, the celebrations will be held on Tuesday. Although in Moscow and some other Russian cities, preparations for the celebration began at the end of May. So, at the end of spring, the Ice Cream Festival at VDNH opened its doors. And on the eve of the holiday, Ice Cream Day was held in GUM.

History and traditions of Ice Cream Day

The World Ice Cream Day appeared in 1997. It was initiated by two friends, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield. They opened an ice cream parlor together and founded Ben & Jerry's. In honor of the anniversary of the common cause, entrepreneurs organized an action with the free distribution of cold dessert.

Subsequently, the initiative was picked up by American and foreign ice cream producers. This is how the international holiday was later formed. Residents of many countries of the world have come to love him, despite the fact that he does not have an official status.

Traditionally, tours and open days are organized at the factories on this day. Branded stores of famous ice cream brands hold tastings, promotions and contests with sweet prizes. Festivals, concerts, and flash mobs are organized in major cities.

World Ice Cream Day: interesting facts

Ice cream itself can be called one of the oldest desserts in the world. Already in the third millennium BC, the noble inhabitants of Ancient China were treated to a cold dish. The masters kept the recipes of this delicacy in strict secrecy, passing on knowledge only to their students. Frozen dairy products with added fruits were also consumed in ancient Greece, Rome and Persia.

Ice cream came to Europe in the 13th century. According to legend, the famous traveler Marco Polo brought the recipe from his trip to Asia. During the XIV–XVI centuries, the delicacy gained popularity in many European countries. Since then, the recipe for sweets has been constantly updated and refined. French pastry chefs came up with ice cream, Austrian — chocolate ice cream, Italian — sorbet.

Ice cream appeared in Russia in the 18th century. It was made from frozen milk, cottage cheese, sour cream and other ingredients. One of the first Russian recipes for such a dessert is described in the "Latest and Complete Cookbook" of 1791. It included cream, egg whites, chocolate, berries, slices of lemons and oranges. And in the 1930s, the first ice cream factories appeared in our country.

According to statistics, in summer, Earth's inhabitants eat one serving of ice cream every three seconds. This sweet is most loved in the USA — the average American eats about 20 kg of ice cream per year. In Russia, this figure is much more modest — about 4 kg per person per year.

Earlier, Izvestia told how much ice cream you can eat per day.