There is an almost endless array of dessert-themed holidays, but few are as delicious as National Strawberry Sundae Day. This holiday falls on July 7th every summer and is the perfect excuse for everyone to make their own strawberry sundae or to go out to their local ice cream shop and buy their version of this iconic ice cream dish.

An ice cream dessert that usually has a base of vanilla or strawberry ice cream, layered with strawberry sauce, sometimes fresh strawberries, and finally topped off with whipped cream. Delicious!

The History of the Ice Cream Sundae

Although there are several different origin stories for the ice cream sundae, most food historians agree that the ice cream sundae originated with the passage of Blue Laws during the 19th century. Blue Laws are religious laws in the U.S. that restrict activities considered sinful.

Several of these laws prohibited the sale of liquor in certain places on Sundays. In other places, it was illegal to even sell soda, as they considered sodas that required sucking to be immoral on the Sabbath. To solve the problem, places began to sell sundaes—ice cream dishes that didn’t contain any alcohol or soda.

Facts About Strawberries

Now that we understand where ice cream sundaes come from, it’s time for us to lay out some of the interesting facts we’ve learned about the other part of strawberry sundaes: the strawberries. Although most people are familiar with strawberries, there are a number of interesting facts that people might not know about them.

• Strawberries contain approximately 200 seeds on average.
• Over 23,000 acres of strawberries are planted every year.
• Nine out of ten American households consume strawberries.
• California ships out over 10 million baskets of strawberries per year.
• Strawberry plants have to be handpicked every three days.
• Ancient Romans used strawberries to treat sore throats.
• A strawberry’s flavor and color can be influenced by weather conditions.
• The optimal temperature for growing strawberries is between 55 and 78 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Most strawberries are planted by runners, although they can also be planted by seed.
• Three-fourths of the strawberries grown in the U.S. are grown in California.

Observing National Strawberry Sundae Day

This holiday is easy enough to celebrate. Just get yourself some ice cream and strawberry syrup, and maybe some whipped cream, and then make yourself a nice strawberry sundae. Once you’ve constructed the perfect strawberry sundae, don’t forget to take a picture of it and share it on social media using the hashtag #NationalStrawberrySundaeDay.