National Chocolate Milkshake Day is celebrated on September 12 every year and is dedicated to the most delicious of all frozen confections. Chocolate milkshakes are a dessert that has been around for over 120 years and can be made with or without malted barley. It’s a drink that has been popular since the 1920s, so it’s not surprising that it would have its very own holiday.

The History of the Chocolate Milkshake

Although we couldn’t find out the origin of National Chocolate Milkshake Day, we were able to discover the storied history of the chocolate milkshake. The term “milkshake” was first used near the end of the 19th century and described not a frothy, ice cream confection but instead a drink that was a hard eggnog-type drink. This drink was made with crushed ice, milk, sugar, and eggs that were topped off with a bit of whiskey.

During the early 20th century, people wanted a refreshing drink that wasn’t laced with alcohol, so soda fountain shops and malt shops began to make treats made with ice cream. When Hamilton Beach introduced the Cyclone Drink Mixer in 1910, these shops then began to use it to make milkshakes of all types using chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla syrups. By the time the 1930s rolled around, milkshakes made both with and without malted barley were common at malt shops all around the United States.

Interesting & Fun Facts About Milkshakes

Below are some of the interesting facts about milkshakes that many of our readers are going to find interesting—we know that we sure did.

• Vanilla Milkshake Day is celebrated on June 20th.
• Banana milkshakes sweetened with honey are used by some people to “cure” hangovers.
• It would take 3.2 million milkshakes to fill up an Olympic-size swimming pool.
• The electric blender was invented specifically for making milkshakes.
• According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the largest milkshake was 6,000 gallons.
• Currently, the strawberry milkshake is without its own holiday, but we think February 20th would be a good day for it.

Celebrating National Chocolate Milkshake Day

National Chocolate Milkshake Day can be celebrated by buying or making a chocolate milkshake. On this day, fast-food restaurants and ice cream shops all around the U.S. give away chocolate milkshakes, so people might want to check which restaurants are giving away milkshakes on this day.

Anyone who wants to make their own chocolate milkshake on this day only has to combine milk, chocolate syrup, and chocolate ice cream in a blender and blend until creamy. If desired, they can also add whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles.

People celebrating this holiday can also use the hashtag #NationalChocolateMilkshakeDay on their social media accounts to let everyone know that they’re celebrating this holiday.