National Smarties Day
October 2
About National Smarties Day
National Smarties Day takes place every year on 2 October and celebrates the colourful tablet candy made by the American Smarties Candy Company. The day was established in 2022 in partnership with the National Day Calendar, and it falls on the birthday of company founder Edward Dee. In 2026 it lands on Friday, 2 October.
How to Celebrate National Smarties Day
Smarties are made for sharing, so the best way to mark the day is to get a roll (or several) into the hands of friends, family, and colleagues. Here are eight ways to join in.
- Share rolls with everyone you meet – Buy a bag of Smarties rolls and hand them out to coworkers, classmates, and neighbours. The candy’s small, individually wrapped rolls make them easy to give away one at a time.
- Bake with Smarties – Crush the tablets and fold them into cookies, sprinkle them over cupcake frosting, or press them into homemade fudge for a colourful, tangy crunch.
- Host a game night – Use the candy rolls as poker chips, bingo markers, or board game tokens. Winners get to eat their winnings at the end.
- Make candy mosaics or art – Sort the pastel discs by colour and arrange them into patterns, letters, or pictures. It is a fun, low-mess craft for children.
- Support a local school – The founder named the candy “Smarties” to encourage learning, so the company links the day to education. Donate supplies, volunteer, or gift treats to teachers in that spirit.
- Run a taste-test of the colours – Each pastel disc has its own subtle flavour, from orange cream and pineapple to grape and strawberry. Challenge friends to guess the colour blindfolded.
- Try the vegan angle – Smarties are free from animal products, gluten, peanuts, and dairy, which makes them an easy treat to share with people who have dietary restrictions. Point this out when you hand them around.
- Post online – Snap a photo of your candy stash or your Smarties bake and share it with the hashtag #NationalSmartiesDay to spread the word.
What is National Smarties Day?
National Smarties Day is an American food holiday dedicated to the small, chalky, fruit-flavoured sugar tablets sold in twisted cellophane rolls. These are the Smarties made by the Smarties Candy Company in New Jersey, and they are a distinct product from the chocolate Smarties sold by Nestle in the United Kingdom and many other countries. The day celebrates the candy’s long history, its family ownership, and the company’s commitment to education and lifelong learning. It is enjoyed mostly by candy fans across the United States.
When is National Smarties Day?
National Smarties Day is observed on 2 October every year, a fixed date that does not move. In 2026 it falls on Friday, 2 October. The date was chosen because it is the birthday of Edward Dee, the founder of the Smarties Candy Company. Because the candy is closely tied to autumn and Halloween, the early-October timing also kicks off the season when Smarties rolls appear in trick-or-treat bowls across America.
The History of National Smarties Day
The story of the candy begins on 10 January 1949, when Edward Dee, a second-generation candymaker who had emigrated from England, started producing candy rolls in a rented factory in Bloomfield, New Jersey. He had a single wrapping machine and one tablet press, which was a repurposed pellet-making machine left over from the wartime years. That machinery gave the candy its distinctive flat, tablet-like shape. Dee named the sweets “Smarties” to encourage people to value education, a theme the company still champions today.
The business originally operated as Ce De Candy Inc. and grew steadily over the decades, becoming a fixture of American confectionery and a Halloween staple. In 2011 the company was renamed the Smarties Candy Company after its most famous product. It remains family owned: Edward Dee’s granddaughters, Sarah Dee, Jessica Dee Sawyer, and Liz Dee, serve as co-presidents, making it one of the few large candy makers still run by its founding family.
The awareness day itself is much more recent. The Smarties Candy Company created National Smarties Day in 2022 in partnership with the National Day Calendar, choosing 2 October to honour Edward Dee’s birthday. The granddaughters introduced the observance to celebrate the candy’s enduring popularity and to highlight the company’s long-standing connection to education. If you enjoy these light-hearted confectionery celebrations, you might also like National Sour Candy Day, which honours another tangy American treat.
Fun Facts About National Smarties Day
- The Smarties Candy Company produces more than two billion rolls of Smarties every single year.
- Smarties are vegan, gluten-free, peanut-free, fat-free, and dairy-free, making them one of the more allergy-friendly mainstream candies.
- The candy is made in two factories: Union Township, New Jersey, in the United States, and Newmarket, Ontario, in Canada.
- The original tablet press used in 1949 was a repurposed pellet-making machine, which is why the sweets look like little pressed pills.
- Founder Edward Dee deliberately chose the name “Smarties” to nudge people toward valuing education and learning.
- National Smarties Day on 2 October is the 275th day of the year in non-leap years.
Why National Smarties Day Matters
On the surface this is a simple celebration of a nostalgic sweet, but it carries a little more weight than most candy holidays. It marks the legacy of an immigrant entrepreneur who built a lasting family business, and it keeps alive the founder’s belief in the value of education. For many Americans, a roll of Smarties is tied to childhood memories of Halloween and shared playground treats, so the day is as much about nostalgia and community as it is about sugar.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is National Smarties Day?
National Smarties Day is an American food holiday celebrating the fruit-flavoured tablet candy made by the Smarties Candy Company. It honours the candy’s history, its family ownership, and the founder’s commitment to education.
When is National Smarties Day in 2026?
National Smarties Day is on Friday, 2 October 2026. It is observed on the same date every year.
Are these the same as the chocolate Smarties from the UK?
No. National Smarties Day celebrates the American tablet candy made by the Smarties Candy Company in New Jersey. The chocolate Smarties sold in the United Kingdom are a completely separate product made by Nestle, and they are not the focus of this day.
Spread the Word
Join the celebration and share your colourful candy hauls and Smarties bakes on social media with #NationalSmartiesDay and #NationalSmartiesDay2026. Tag your friends and challenge them to take part!
Related Awareness Days
- National Sour Candy Day – A summer celebration of tart and tangy sweets, perfect for fellow candy lovers.
- National Lollipop Day – Another nostalgic American candy holiday, ideal for sharing treats with friends.
- Sweetest Day – An October day all about sharing kindness and sweet treats with the people you care about.
Links
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