National Peppermint Patty Day is a holiday that falls on the 11th of February each year and celebrates the peppermint confection that’s covered in a layer of dark chocolate. Peppermint patties have been around for almost 100 years and are currently enjoyed by millions of people all over the world. Of course, this holiday can celebrate more than that sweet chocolate-covered patty of peppermint; it can also be used to celebrate the fictional character Peppermint Patty that was featured in the “Peanuts” comic strip by Charles M. Schulz.

The History Of The Peppermint Patty

Although we tried really hard to uncover the history of National Peppermint Patty Day, we were unable to find out who invented it or when it was first observed. That’s when we decided to turn our attention to researching the history of the peppermint patty itself. Fortunately, that was pretty easy to do since its history is a matter of record.

The York Peppermint Pattie was introduced by Henry Kessler in 1940 through his York Cone Company. It was sold only in the northeastern U.S. in Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, and Florida. In 1972, Peter Paul—a confection company based out of Connecticut—launched the treat nationwide in 1975 and initiated an advertising campaign that got people excited about the product. Three years later, Peter Paul was acquired by Cadbury, and in 1988, Peter Paul became a division of Hershey Foods when Hershey acquired the company.

Sweet Facts About Peppermint Patties

Want some fun, sweet facts about peppermint patties—both the candy and the comic character? If you do, then allow us to introduce the following facts to you. Facts that you should definitely share with fellow peppermint patty fans on National Peppermint Patty Day.

• The York Cone Company didn’t invent peppermint patties; they only made a version that turned out to be the most popular because of its firmness.
• The name of Charles M. Schulz’s “Peanuts” comic strip character Patricia Reichardt is nicknamed Peppermint Patty.
• Fun size York Peppermint Patties are only 50 calories.
• Charles M. Schulz modeled his Peppermint Patty character after a cousin of his, Patricia Swanson.
• Schulz debuted the last name of Peppermint Patty in 1972. The last name Reichardt was borrowed from his secretary, Sue Reichardt.
• The character Peppermint Patty has a crush on fellow character Pig-Pen in the comic strip in 1980.
• Peppermint Patty has been voiced by over 20 different voice actors in the “Peanuts” cartoons.
• The first person to voice Peppermint Patty in 1967 was Gabrielle DeFaria Ritter, and in 2019, Isis Moore voiced her.

Observing National Peppermint Patty Day

National Peppermint Patty Day is a sweet holiday for a sweet treat. Anyone wishing to celebrate it can do so by buying a York Peppermint Pattie, or one of their imitators, or by taking the time to learn more about the comic character Peppermint Patty. Either way, you’re sure to have a good time. Before you end this day, be sure to use the hashtag #NationalPeppermintPattyDay to spread the word about it far and wide.