Top Gifts to Buy for Sweetest Day 2024

Q: When Is Sweetest Day 2024?

Today, we celebrate Sweetest Day on the third Saturday in October. This year, Sweetest Day is on October 19, 2024.

Every day, it seems like someone’s “inventing” a new holiday – especially if you check your email inbox, right?

Whether it’s a company creating a special occasion to sell us something new, a generous offer to make someone’s day better, or a new viral internet trend, there seems to be no end to the list of unique holidays.

However, it’s essential to remember what we’re supposed to be thankful for or what to cherish close to our hearts as the years pass. Holidays can be religious or patriotic, universal or niche, conservative or fun — but they all started somewhere, standing to this day to remind us why we celebrate these holidays.

One less-popular holiday ⁠called Sweetest Day with roots of charity and kindness ⁠is gaining traction all over the United States ⁠— and for all the right reasons.

When Is Sweetest Day 2024?

Unlike numerous holidays that have the same exact date throughout each following year (e,g, Valentine’s Day), Sweetest Day is always celebrated on the third Saturday of October. This year, we will be celebrating Sweetest Day on October 19, 2024.

What Is Sweetest Day?

Sweetest Day is an American holiday in October that is most prominent in the Midwest, particularly in the Great Lakes area. However, it’s also common in parts of Texas, upstate New York, California, Florida, and Pennsylvania.

Sweetest Day has no religious affiliation, nor it is a national-rooted holiday. Most people celebrate it by giving sweets or small and simple attention-grabbing gifts to the person they want to show affection to. However, this holiday is NOT only celebrated among romantic partners, but also, among close relatives and friends, meaning you can decide to show appreciation for your grandmother, or significant other.

Candy manufacturers have tried to popularize the holiday since its inception, but it never caught on nationally, or industry-wide.

The History and Origins of Sweetest Day

In 1916, candy manufacturers noticed sales were down in the months leading up to Christmas. To increase revenue, the National Confectioners Association officially dubbed the second Saturday in October “Candy Day.” The companies advertised Candy Day as a day to give and receive sweets, as well as an occasion to promote appreciation and goodwill. However, make no mistake — the National Confectioners Association created Candy Day specifically to boost sales.

Candy Day gained a bit of traction, but failed to get national attention. Observant consumers began to see it for what it was — a marketing gimmick. To get ahead of the suspicions, the sweets manufacturers launched a high-profile giveaway of candy to disabled or less fortunate people.

In 1921, the candy manufacturers made the official change from “Candy Day” to “Sweetest Day.”

In the upcoming year, the biggest Cleveland-wide moment of the holiday was recorded, when a man named Herbert Birch Kingston decided to bring joy and sweeten the day of the unprivileged people, such as orphans and homeless people by giving them out free candy.

Furthermore, in the early 1930s, manufacturers started collaborating with movie stars to help promote Sweetest Day. Actresses like Ann Pennington and Theda Bara distributed candy to Cleveland newsboys and hospital patients.

Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, Midwesterners continued celebrating Sweetest Day on either the second or third Saturday in October. Candy manufacturers kept advertising Sweetest Day, with more of an emphasis on charity and generosity than candy and personal revenue.

Somewhere along the line, the legend of Sweetest Day emerged, and history began to accept the Kingston narrative as a fact of historical importance, bringing joy to a wider portion of the human population, instead just the unfortunate ones.

Today, sources from Bustle to Retail Confectioners International all claim that Kingston started Sweetest Day. However, according to The Atlantic, 1920 census data lists Kingston’s occupation as “advertiser.”

While it’s unsurprisingly most popular in its birth state of Ohio, the holiday has not gained much traction in other parts of the country.

However, fans of the holiday seem to take it with them when they move, as people buy Sweetest Day cards in all parts of the country, but it hasn’t still gained popularity outside of the US borders.

How to Celebrate Sweetest Day?

Since its creation in 1921, the traditions of Sweetest Day have changed. Instead of giving out candy to the less fortunate, most people opt for giving sweets or other gifts to their loved ones.

If you’re new to Sweetest Day, you can decide which type of celebration is best for you. You can choose to give to the less fortunate, shower your loved ones with candies and love, or both. As you can with any other holiday, you’re free to put your spin on it and celebrate your loved ones in a way that’s meaningful to you.

Since Sweetest Day is a little-known holiday in most of the country, many people have trouble figuring out the best way to honor the day. To get started, try these ideas for how to celebrate Sweetest Day.

Here are a few suggestions to celebrate Sweetest Day:

Gift candy: Of course, a holiday called Sweetest Day is going to involve sweet treats. One way to honor the original intention of Sweetest Day is to give candy to those you love most. Whether you give them candy directly or hide some around for them to find throughout the day, this idea is a delicious way to say, “I love you.” Plus, with Halloween right around the corner, stores will be well-stocked.
Gift homemade sweets: When it comes to sweets, the only thing better than candy is homemade cakes, pastries, and desserts. If you can’t afford to buy something for Sweetest Day or want to do something more personal, baking homemade sweets is a thoughtful alternative. Breaking out the recipe book and baking something tasty from scratch is always a fantastic gift. Sweetest Day is also an ideal time to break out the seasonal recipes. Try making a pumpkin pie or an apple cider doughnut cake.
Gift flowers: You can still celebrate Sweetest Day even if your loved one doesn’t have much of a sweet tooth. Flowers are another way to remind someone how much you care for them, especially when they come with a thoughtful card. Flowers are a unique Sweetest Day gift, and Ode à la Rose makes it easy to buy lovely, handmade bouquets.

Gift a card: It might seem simple, but a well-picked card can mean a lot. If you’re not one for flowers or sweets, a card is a simple way to remind a loved one how much you care about them. Instead of impressing your loved ones with your baking skills or taste in flowers, writing a heartfelt note in a card can be equally meaningful. Get creative with calligraphy or use special stationery to enhance the gesture.
Plan a night out: Sweetest Day always falls on a Saturday, so it poses an excellent opportunity to plan a special night out. If your loved one would rather have an experience than a material gift, this is a wonderful way to spend Sweetest Day. Best of all, it’s not a major holiday like Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day, so you shouldn’t have trouble booking a dinner reservation at the fanciest restaurant in town.
Plan a nice home date: Going out is great, but sometimes, staying in is even better. You can still have a romantic Sweetest Day from the comfort of your home. Cooking a meal, opening a bottle of wine, and watching a movie can be as sweet as flowers or candy. If you want an intimate experience without the extra cost or noise, this is the best choice. Plus, you can do it all in your pajamas.

Best Gifts for Her on Sweetest Day

Figuring out what to buy for Sweetest Day can be a daunting task. When it comes to gifts, knowing your significant other is your strongest asset.

Understanding her likes, wants, and needs will be critical in picking out the best Sweetest Day gifts for your wife or girlfriend.

Consider how and when you’re going to give these gifts, as well. If you’re giving flowers, will they be waiting on her desk at the office or on the kitchen table when she gets home?

If you’re writing her a card, will you hand it to her directly or leave it somewhere as a surprise?

Factor in your schedules and what you want to gift to pick the best course of action.

To help guide you, here are a few Sweetest Day gift ideas for her.

Flowers: You can’t go wrong with flowers. They are a perfect gift for Sweetest Day, since they add beauty, class, and fragrance to any room in the house. Select blooms or blossoms in her favorite color for a thoughtful and personalized touch. You can also send flowers to her office for an added surprise. For a beautiful, chic bouquet, be sure to order from Ode à la Rose this Sweetest Day.
Sweets: Candies, chocolates, and sweets are all fantastic Sweetest Day gifts for your girlfriend or wife. Every time she reaches for one of those sweets throughout the day, she’ll remember how much you love her.
Sweetest Day card: Hallmark started selling Sweetest Day cards in the 1960s, and still does today. Whether you get a card specific to Sweetest Day or a generic one to tell her how much you love her, a card is always a thoughtful gift. It’s simple, affordable, and personalized — a sweet way to let her know how much you care. You can also gift a card in combination with the other gifts to buy for Sweetest Day.

Best Gifts for Him on Sweetest Day

Gender equality has made a lot of fuss lately – but we have to support this principle equally. This means that the more masculine gender also deserves to feel loved and appreciated.

So, whether you’re looking to show gratitude for a friend, husband, father, or boyfriend, a Sweetest Day gift is the ideal way to spread the love.

But let’s be honest – it’s rather challenging to pick out gifts for men. Like getting presents for women, the secret to buying your significant masculine person a great gift is knowing what he likes, as well as listening and remembering your small talks.

Does he appreciate material things or experiences? Does he have a sweet tooth? Does he prefer simple things? You can then plan how to give the gift to the man in your life, considering whether he likes surprises or would rather receive a gift directly from you.

If you’re looking for the Sweetest Day gifts for your boyfriend, husband, or any man in your life, here’s a list of ideas to help you start.

Flowers: Who says men don’t like flowers? While it’s more common to give women a bouquet on special occasions, men also enjoy the sensory delights of flowers — whether it’s a holiday or not. Flowers are a beautiful way to show the man you love how much you appreciate him. Select shades of red, white, orange, blue, or a cold palette of masculine colors and arrangements with plenty of greenery to balance out the blooms.
Homemade sweets: What’s a better way to say “I love you” than with homemade goodies? The best Sweetest Day gifts for your husband, boyfriend, friend, or family member are the ones you make yourself. Baking sweets on Sweetest Day is a perfect way to get the house smelling great and show him how much you care.
Sweetest Day card: Cards are ideal for making your boyfriend or husband smile. You can include a note about how much you love him or a joke to make him laugh. Anyone can appreciate a loving note, and cards are always a thoughtful gift for Sweetest Day.

How Ode à la Rose Can Make Your Sweetest Day a Success?

Even if you love celebrating holidays, planning the perfect day or gift can be stressful. When it comes to purchasing flowers, Ode à la Rose will make sure everything goes right on this Sweetest Day.

Our greatest strength is the quality of our bouquets. Our highly skilled floral designers make the most unique, high-end arrangements. We ensure each bouquet looks precisely like the photo on our website. To ensure your expectations match reality, we’ll send you a picture of your actual arrangement.

We pride ourselves in using the highest-quality flowers, which we source from the best farms in the world. We use a strict control process to ensure you get the best possible product. To create our stunning arrangements, we use roses, orchids, goldenrods, chrysanthemums, and many more beautiful blooms.

That gives you an impressive variety to select the perfect gift from. You’re sure to get a splendid bunch of colors your friend, family member, or loved one will appreciate.

Moreover, we deliver each bouquet in a chic gift box that complements the arrangement. Our flowers also arrive in water, ensuring peak freshness — something our competitors don’t promise. Whether you’re looking for a small bouquet to make someone smile or a large one to fill up a room, you’ll be able to find the perfect selection for any reason. With our comprehensive website, you can search for arrangements by size, color, occasion, or price, making it easy to get the gift you’re looking for.

We’re also proud to offer farm-fresh flowers for blooms of the highest standards from Holland, Ecuador, and elsewhere to give your loved one on Sweetest Day. Farm-direct flowers provide you with fresh, seasonal blooms from all over the world right to your door. That way, you can create your beautiful arrangement to gift on Sweetest Day 2024.

It may just be the ultimate gift that combines the thoughtfulness of something you make yourself and the beauty of fresh flowers from Ode à la Rose.

But if you were wondering which flowers last longer, our Preserved Roses are classic rose arrangements in a decorative white ceramic vase. We preserve each individual rose for a bouquet that can last for up to a year. And with a simple, yet stunning, vase and a variety of colors, you’ll find a perfect, long-lasting floral gift for anyone in your life.

A beautiful arrangement is already a thoughtful present. But when your partner, friend, or dear family member can display that gift year-round, it’s even more special.

Say “thanks” and “I love you” with Preserved Roses or other stunning flowers from us.

When you order flowers with Ode à la Rose, you’ll find even more gifts to buy for Sweetest Day. During the checkout process, we offer the option to personalize your order. You can even upload a photo that we will print and deliver alongside the bouquet, or include a heartfelt note to commemorate the spirit of Sweetest Day.

Some bouquets come with special add-ons, like candles or macarons. If yours doesn’t already come with them, you can upgrade your order during the checkout process.

Send Your Sweetheart Flowers This Sweetest Day

With so many corporate and silly holidays crowding your calendar, celebrate one that cherishes what matters most. When our lives get busy and stressful, it’s easy to forget the people closest to us. Sweetest Day is the perfect occasion to remember. Whether Sweetest Day 2024 is your first or 50th, celebrate it with a stylish bouquet from Ode à la Rose.

If you want to surprise a beloved person – simply order a gorgeous bouquet from Ode à la Rose today!