Chewing Gum Day 🫧

Overview

Chewing Gum Day, observed on September 30th, is an unofficial holiday dedicated to celebrating the popular confection known as chewing gum. It's a day to appreciate its long history, varied flavors, stress-relieving qualities, and the simple joy it brings to millions worldwide, from the satisfying chew to the playful art of blowing bubbles.

Origin and story

The oldest known chewing gum is a 9,000-year-old piece of birch bark tar, found by a British archaeology student in Finland.

Modern chewing gum originated in the 1860s when inventor Thomas Adams experimented with chicle from the sapodilla tree, a natural latex.

Quick facts

• DateSeptember 30
• TypeFood / confectionery observance
• Great forBubble-blowing contests, Kids, Classrooms, Road trips

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Ways to celebrate

Chewing Gum Day celebrates a habit far older than the candy aisle — archaeologists have found chewed birch bark tar with human tooth marks thousands of years old.

Chew on it

Celebrate by:

• Chewing a stick of gum today and blowing a bubble, just because.
• Trying a gum flavor or brand you've never had before.

Learn about ancient chewing gum

Helpful resources:

• A Brief History of Chewing Gum (Smithsonian Magazine)

Learn about the modern version

• Looking up Thomas Adams, who pioneered modern gum in the 1860s using chicle from the sapodilla tree.

Did you know?

Archaeologists have recovered chewed birch bark tar in Scandinavia so well-preserved that scientists extracted a full human genome from it, along with clues about the chewer's diet and oral microbes.

Fun facts

• The oldest known chewing gum is a 9,000-year-old piece of birch bark tar, found by a British archaeology student in Finland.
• Modern chewing gum originated in the 1860s when inventor Thomas Adams experimented with chicle from the sapodilla tree, a natural latex.
• The first commercially successful bubble gum, "Dubble Bubble," was invented in 1928 by Walter Diemer, an accountant for the Fleer Chewing Gum Company.

Sources and attribution

Chew on This: The History of Gum (HISTORY)

A Brief History of Chewing Gum (Smithsonian Magazine)

External links may lead to third-party websites.

Continue your streak

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FAQ

When is Chewing Gum Day?

It is observed on September 30 each year.

What is Chewing Gum Day?

Chewing Gum Day, observed on September 30th, is an unofficial holiday dedicated to celebrating the popular confection known as chewing gum. It's a day to appreciate its long history, varied flavors, stress-relieving qualities, and the simple joy it brings to millions worldwide, from the satisfying chew to the playful art of blowing bubbles.

How do people celebrate Chewing Gum Day?

Chew a stick of gum and blow a bubble — the oldest known chewing gum is a 9,000-year-old piece of birch bark tar found in Finland, though modern gum traces to Thomas Adams's 1860s experiments with chicle.

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