Although most people know what the word licorice means, there are quite a few who mistake the licorice candies available at the grocery store. Unfortunately, that just isn’t right. Although some black licorice candies have licorice flavor added to them, most of them don’t. True licorice is an herb that grows in parts of Europe and Asia and has been used as medicine for thousands of years.

What does all of this matter? Well, it matters if you want to use licorice for its medicinal value, or if you want to celebrate National Licorice Day—a day that falls on the 12th of April every year. Since we’re interested in the holidays, we’ve decided to do a little research and find out more about this holiday. As we go along, we will probably learn a lot about licorice as well, so maybe it’s a win-win situation after all.

The History Of National Licorice Day

National Licorice Day is a holiday that was established in 2004, thanks to the efforts of the National Confectioners Association. Although we wanted to let people know that there was a difference between true licorice and the licorice extract used in candies, it is true that candy makers make quite an assortment of licorice-flavored candies. Candies that include everything from jelly beans to black licorice sticks.

Interesting Facts About Licorice

Since we’re all trying to learn more about licorice and how it has been used—in regard to both its traditional usage and its modern usage—we’ve decided to provide all of our readers with a little more information on the subject. That’s why we’ve listed what we consider to be some of the most interesting facts about licorice.

• Licorice comes from a Greek word that originally meant “sweet root.”
• Most licorice candies made today aren’t flavored with licorice but are instead flavored with anise.
• In the UK, this herb is known as liquorice. In Canada and the U.S., it’s known as licorice.
• True licorice has been used for everything from eczema to canker sores.
• Licorice is unsafe for pregnant women to ingest.
• Women also shouldn’t use true licorice when they’re breastfeeding their baby.
• Licorice is known as liquirizia in Italian, and Lakritze in German.
• Archaeologists have found licorice in the tomb of the Egyptian pharaoh, King Tutankhamen.

Observing National Licorice Day

Celebrating this holiday is probably as easy as picking out some of your favorite licorice-flavored candies and eating them. It’s also a good day to make your own licorice-flavored cookies, candies, and cakes. If you’re participating in the festivities of this holiday, you might also want to use the hashtag #NationalLicoriceDay to let the world know you’re celebrating it.