Celebrated annually on February 5th, World Nutella Day is a holiday that celebrates Nutella – a sweetened cocoa hazelnut spread produced by the Italian confectionery company Ferrero. Although once only known to the Italian market, Nutella has become a global confectionery sensation, now sold in over 75 countries. In fact, according to various sources, it is estimated that one jar of Nutella is sold every 2.5 seconds.

History of Nutella

During the 19th century, Napoleon attempted a continental blockade that he hoped would wreck British commerce and enable him to win the war. However, what happened was that chocolatiers in the Piedmontese area of north-western Italy were left with a huge problem. Almost overnight, chocolate prices skyrocketed. They wondered how they were going to make chocolate confections. Then, inspiration struck them. Why not chop up hazelnuts, which were plentiful in the area, and mix them into the chocolate? When they did, they inadvertently invented gianduia – a hazelnut and chocolate paste that would become the foundation for the Nutella recipe.

During the 1940s, the ongoing world war caused chocolate prices to skyrocket and chocolate to become scarce, so Pietro Ferrero, who owned a bakery in Alba, Piedmont, decided to use hazelnuts to stretch his chocolate supply. This product, known as Pasta Gianduja, which was produced as a solid block, was sold extensively during the 1940s. However, in 1951, he decided to create a creamy version as well. This version was named Supercrema. In 1963, the Supercrema recipe was altered so it could be marketed throughout Europe. This new recipe was renamed Nutella, and the first jar was sold in April of 1964. Almost immediately, Nutella was a success and sold like hotcakes.

History of World Nutella Day

During the early 2000s, Susan Russo, an American blogger living in Italy, was always taking jars of it back to the United States because Nutella wasn’t easy to find in the U.S. at the time. This prompted Susan to wonder why Nutella wasn’t more popular in the States. Finally, in 2007, she sent an email to a friend and fellow blogger named Shelley Ruelle, asking her if she wanted to host an International Nutella Day with her. Shelley’s reply was an enthusiastic yes!

At first, the holiday was celebrated on February 6th, but the following year it was changed to February 5th. They also launched NutellaDay.com, a landing page that would link back to the bloggers’ respective sites so people could find more information on the holiday. Over the years, the holiday became more popular and spread virally across Twitter and Facebook. All over the world, people began to share Nutella recipes and word of the product spread.

Not everyone was happy with the holiday, though. In April of 2013, Ferrero sent Russo a cease-and-desist letter that demanded she stop publishing anything with the Nutella name, likeness, or logo. However, in May of that year, Ferrero dropped the cease-and-desist letter to Russo and reached out to her. Today, she continues to run the holiday’s media pages and website, although she now has to place a disclaimer on it that it is not officially run by the company and doesn’t express the views of Ferrero.

World Nutella Day Customs & Traditions

The best way to enjoy World Nutella Day is to buy a jar – or jars, as the case may be – and eat it straight, use it during a meal, or use it in your favorite recipe. Nutella is perfect for spreading on toast, mixing into cake mixes, and using in sandwiches. In fact, you probably haven’t lived until you have tried a Nutella and banana sandwich.