July 15th is National Gummy Worm Day

Just in case you needed an excuse to celebrate... 

It’s National Gummy Worm Day! 

Gummy Worms were invented on July 15th, 1981. Although they were considered weird when they first came out – they've become one of the most popular gummy shapes. 

Have you ever wondered how they came up with this candy... and why? Its history stems from the invention of the gummy bear! 

The History of Gummy Bears and Gummy Worms

Gummy bears were created by German candy maker Hans Riegel in the early 1920s. He was tired of his dead-end job as confectionary worker, so he started his own company – which would eventually become the "Haribo" that we know today.

He was making hard candies at first, but they didn't sell very well. Then he had an idea: soft, chewy candies shaped like "dancing bears," a popular form of entertainment at the time. The candy bears were a hit!

So, gummy bears are considered the first shaped gummy to hit the market. Even though they've been around for 100 years...they weren’t actually introduced to the U.S until the'80s. Weird to think about, right?

It was during this same period, when Europe's gummy craze finally made its way to the U.S....

that the company Trolli was inspired to develop the gummy worm!

Why Gummy Worms?

Gummies had been produced in other shapes before, but nothing was able to rival the gummy bear—until the worm entered the scene. 

Trolli, another German company, introduced "Gummy Squiggles" in 1981. These were the first-ever gummy worms!

So... why worms? 

At the time, the idea was that they would sell because of the shock factor. (You know...people thought they were "gross..." but they'd still buy them!) They were intended to amuse children while seriously creeping out parents. 

And the idea worked...because today Gummy Worms are one of the most popular gummies out there. 

 

So, if you love Gummy Worms...you can thank Hans Riegel! Take some time to celebrate National Gummy Worm Day – by adding them to a dessert or eating them by the handful. 

 

Do you know this about Gummy Worms? Let us know in the comments!