Eat Your Jello Day is a holiday observed on July 12th every year that encourages everyone to treat themselves to a nice cup of jello. This is one of those holidays that mysteriously appeared on the internet one day, and as a result, no one really knows who invented it or exactly when it was invented.

All that we know is that this holiday encourages people to enjoy gelatin products in all their forms. For most people, this usually means the fruit-flavored gelatin products we’ve all known and loved since childhood, but for others, it might mean enjoying products such as pudding or no-bake cream pies.

The History of Jello

Gelatin as a food product has been around since the 15th century. Many cooks during the 1400s would boil bones, connective tissues, hooves, and other animal parts to make gelatin—a protein produced from collagen.

Although it was used from the 15th through the 17th centuries, it wouldn’t be until the 19th century that gelatin would become popular. It was commonly used during the Victorian era to make a variety of aspics and gelatin molds.

In 1845, Peter Cooper obtained a patent for powdered gelatin. This made it even easier to use for cooking, and as a result, the popularity of gelatin rose once again. In 1897, Pearle Bixby Wait trademarked a gelatin dessert called Jell-O.

This product was made by Wait and his wife May by adding lemon, raspberry, strawberry, and orange flavorings to gelatin and sugar. In 1899, Wait ended up selling Jell-O to Orator Francis Woodward.

Woodward had trouble finding a market for his product at first, but that began to change during the early 1900s thanks to Woodward’s aggressive and innovative marketing campaigns. Jell-O eventually found some popularity, but its popularity really soared during the 1950s when aspics and other savory gelatin products became a staple of American cuisine.

Observing Eat Your Jello Day

Eat Your Jello Day can be observed by eating your favorite flavor of gelatin products or by making your favorite jello dessert item. While you’re enjoying this holiday, be sure to use the hashtag #EatYourJelloDay on your social media accounts to spread the word about this jiggly holiday.