About National Jelly Bean Day 2026

What is National Jelly Bean Day?

National Jelly Bean Day is celebrated on 22 April each year in the United States, honouring one of the world’s most popular and colourful confections. These small, bean-shaped sweets with their firm outer shell and soft, chewy centre have been a staple of the American candy landscape for well over a century, and their appeal extends far beyond US borders.

When is National Jelly Bean Day 2026?

National Jelly Bean Day 2026 falls on Wednesday 22 April 2026.

The History of Jelly Beans

The jelly bean’s origins can be traced back to the American Civil War era. William Schrafft, a Boston confectioner, is credited with popularising the sweets during the 1860s, encouraging his customers to send jelly beans to Union soldiers fighting in the war. With their durable outer shell that protected the soft interior, jelly beans were among the first candies to be sold by the pound, making them an accessible and practical treat.

The manufacturing process draws on two older confectionery traditions. The soft centre is a descendant of Turkish Delight, a Middle Eastern sweet that dates back centuries, while the hard outer shell uses a technique called “panning,” which was first developed in 17th-century France for making Jordan almonds.

The first known advertisement for jelly beans appeared on 5 July 1905 in the Chicago Daily News, where they were offered for nine cents per pound. By the 1930s, jelly beans had become closely associated with Easter due to their egg-like shape, a connection that endures to this day — approximately 16 billion jelly beans are manufactured in the United States each year for the Easter season alone.

Jelly Beans and the White House

Jelly beans reached the height of their cultural prominence through their association with US President Ronald Reagan. Reagan began eating jelly beans in the 1960s as a way to help him quit smoking while serving as Governor of California. His fondness for the sweets became widely known, and jelly beans were a fixture of his presidential desk, cabinet meetings, and Air Force One.

In 1981, Reagan declared 22 April as National Jelly Bean Day. Three and a half tonnes of red, white, and blue Jelly Belly beans were ordered for his inauguration ceremony. In 1983, Reagan even sent Jelly Belly beans aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger, making them one of the first sweets in space.

How Jelly Beans Are Made

Modern jelly bean production is a surprisingly complex and time-consuming process. A single Jelly Belly jelly bean takes between seven and fourteen days to produce. The process begins with cooking the flavoured centre, which is then coated in layers of sugar and flavouring through the panning process. The Jelly Belly Candy Company can produce approximately 1,680 beans per second and offers more than 100 different flavours, ranging from traditional fruit tastes to more adventurous options.

How to Get Involved

National Jelly Bean Day is a lighthearted celebration that anyone can enjoy:

• Taste the rainbow — Pick up a bag of jelly beans and try flavours you have never had before. Many brands now offer gourmet and artisan varieties.
• Host a blind tasting — Challenge friends or family to identify jelly bean flavours blindfolded.
• Learn the history — Share the fascinating story of jelly beans with others, from Civil War care packages to the White House.
• Get creative — Use jelly beans for decorating cakes, creating mosaics, or filling jars as colourful gifts.
• Share on social media — Post your favourite flavour or most creative jelly bean creation online.

Jelly Bean Facts

• If you lined up all the jelly beans eaten during Easter, they would circle the Earth more than three times.
• One jelly bean contains approximately four calories.
• The most popular jelly bean flavour in the United States is cherry.
• Jelly Belly introduced the world’s first gourmet jelly bean in 1976, featuring natural flavourings and a flavoured shell to match the centre.

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