According to the International Dairy Foods Association, the average American eats about four gallons of ice cream per year. And with July being National Ice Cream Month, the IDFA implores Americans everywhere to double that annual consumption during the month, no matter the cost to both your health and wallet.
Okay, so the IDFA didn’t really say that, but I imagine the organization would want to if it could.
And yes, there really is a National Ice Cream Month, along with a National Ice Cream Day to boot.
The History of National Ice Cream Month
The month-long holiday dates back to 1984, when President Ronald Reagan designated July as National Ice Cream Month. Using his vast executive powers, Reagan also designated the third Sunday of July as National Ice Cream Day.
In his proclamation, Reagan asked for the entire country to celebrate the month with “appropriate ceremonies and activities.” Now, the idea of how to appropriately celebrate National Ice Cream Month is entirely subjective. What exactly did President Reagan mean by this? Was he asking all Americans to indulge in an ice cream cone or two throughout July and the rest of the summer months? Was he signaling that it was more than okay to sneak into your local Dairy Queen after it closes and gorge yourself on the soft-serve ice cream before jumping into the machine itself and taking a soothing ice cream bath? The interpretation is entirely up to you, only enhancing the fun of National Ice Cream Month!
The funny thing is, National Ice Cream Month was only supposed to last through July of 1984, after Senator Walter Dee Huddleston of Kentucky introduced the resolution for just that year. But through that good ol’ fashioned American grit and perseverance, we’ve managed to keep on celebrating this holiday ever since – at least unofficially in the eyes of Uncle Sam.
