National Lollipop Day – The Joyful History Behind the Stick
Posted on: 15/07/2025, 10:00
National Lollipop Day on 20th July isn’t just another quirky date in the sugary calendar — it’s a celebration of childhood joy, technicolour treats, and one of the most enduring pleasures to pass your lips without needing a fork. Whether you called them suckers, lollies or sticky-on-a-stick as a child, these cheerful confections have been cheering up sweet jars and gloveboxes for generations.
The lickable origin of a classic
The true history of the lollipop is as sticky as the sweet itself. Some historians believe the earliest lollipops were prehistoric — sticks dipped in honey and rolled in nuts or fruit. The 16th century saw European confectioners boiling sugar into hard candy and skewering it for cleanliness (and convenience). But it was George Smith, an American candyman in 1908, who modernised the lollipop and trademarked the name — inspired, charmingly, by his favourite racehorse, “Lolly Pops”.
From sweet treat to surrealist statement
Fast-forward to Spain, 1958. The birth of the Chupa Chups brand would soon become a global sugar superpower. But here’s the cultural cherry on top: in 1969, none other than Salvador Dalí — yes, *that* Salvador Dalí — designed the logo. It was floral, iconic, and still graces the top of every wrapper today. Now that’s how you sweeten the art world.
Lollipops we love at Monmore Confectionery
Whether you’re catering for children’s parties, stocking up for summer fairs, or simply looking for the sweet that sells itself, these are our top-selling lollipops for National Lollipop Day and beyond:
- Chupa Chups Melody Pops – a strawberry flavoured lollipop that also works as a musical instrument. Whistle while you sugar.
- Chupa Chups Frooze Pop – a combination of hard candy and liquid centre, in flavours like blueberry and pineapple-passion. Drama, in a sweet.
- Swizzels Double Lollies – fruit-flavoured and vegan, with that nostalgic powdery crunch you forgot you missed.
- Vidal Mega Blue Raspberry Lolly – a sour tongue-painting beast of a lolly. One for the brave.
- Dobson’s Rhubarb & Custard Lolly – British, bold, and gloriously nostalgic. Like a Sunday roast in sweet form.
- Candy Paradise Rainbow Swirl – that classic seaside look in hypnotic colours. A best-seller for good reason.
- Minions Twister Pop – novelty meets orange and strawberry flavours. Comes with Minion stickers. Because of course it does.
- Lick-It Tongue Painter Lollies – 150-count tubs of colourful mischief for parties and point-of-sale displays.
- Dobson’s Apple Lolly – crisp green flavour with classic jar appeal.
- Vidal Tongue Painter 2-Colour Lolly – tutti frutti with a colour-change twist.
- Candy Paradise Fancy Pops – individually wrapped, with visual pop and fast retail turnover.
- Swizzels Drumstick Lollies – milk and raspberry flavour, chewy and iconic.
- Vidal Double Cherry Lollies – classic hard-boiled sweet for high-traffic sellers.
- Universal appeal – they’re as at home in a wedding favour as they are in a classroom treat tin.
- Long shelf life – easy to store, display, and rotate with minimal waste.
- Retail-ready formats – jars, bags, and tubs built for shelf presence.
- Perfect for events – from school fêtes to party bags, lollipops are non-negotiable.
- Low cost, high margin – the sweet that sells itself (and paints tongues while it’s at it).
National Lollipop Day is more than a sugar-coated excuse — it’s a nod to the sweet that’s spanned centuries, cultures, and packaging innovations. At Monmore Confectionery, we stock the widest range of lollipops for wholesale, retail, events and joyful gifting — from the whimsical to the wildly flavoured. So stock your shelves, fill your jars, and pick your pop — because there’s nothing quite like the power of a lollipop to make a moment sweet.
