Jump for Jelly Beans Day

Jump for Jelly Beans Day is on July 31st in the United States.

Jelly beans are a type of candy, or sweet, primarily made from sugar that have a candy shell surrounding a chewy centre.

Jelly beans are derived from the confection known as Turkish, or Greek, Delight. The first known appearance of jelly beans was during the American Civil War when a confectioner in Boston, William Schrafft, had people send the beans to soldiers. The first actual reference to them as jelly beans was substantially later, in 1905.

Jelly beans come in a wide range of flavours. There are some standard jelly bean types, which basically come in a range of fruit flavours, but there are also gourmet jelly beans.

Gourmet jelly beans, which are normally more expensive, come in a much wider range of flavours, including cocktails, soft drink, tropical fruit and berries. Jelly beans appeared in the Harry Potter series, as Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans, which, allegedly, came in flavours including vomit, paper, earwax and dirt.

National Jelly Bean Day

National Jelly Bean Day is on April 22nd in the United States.

Jelly beans are small, bean shaped candies (or sweets) that consist of a gel interior surrounded by a candy shell. The main ingredient in them is sugar (or similar ingredients), and they come in a variety of, mostly bright, colours.

The Turkish dessert known as Turkish delight (or, in Greece, Greek delight) is believed to be the inspiration for jelly beans, but the modern candy didn't come into existence until during the American Civil War.

There are now gourmet jelly bean manufacturers, such as Jelly Belly, which make the beans in many more flavours than the original ones (which tended to be just fruit or spice) including drinks (some of which are "alcoholic" although the beans are not), popcorn and bubblegum. The colours of the jelly beans generally correspond to the flavour.