Today is National Gummi Bear Day. For me, this is a day worth celebrating!
It’s not that I am completely gaga over gummi bears, but I went to high school in Germany (Wiesbaden Warriors Forever!) and gummi bears were an essential part of that experience.
My best friend and I participated in fundraising activities where we learned there was an outlet store filled with every flavor and shape of gummi bear you can imagine. From that moment on gummi “bear” became synonymous with gummi everything! We quickly chose favorites and were rarely without a package of the chewy, fruity treat.
According to Nationadaycalendar.com “Fruity and fun, these colorful chews have been charming us since 1922. That’s right, the gummi bear is 100 years old! HARIBO® founder Hans Riegel started the company in 1920 from his home kitchen. Two years later he created the world’s first gummi bear. Today, they’re known as Goldbears® and are an iconic treat all over the world.”
I do, on occasion, still enjoy real gummi bears. I’ve found a few places to get the authentic ones … they are a little different than the ones from the grocery store.
And, for what it’s worth, I learned to pronounce the name of these sugary indulgences in Germany … where the “u” in gummi is pronounced like ewww … so it’s goo-mi, not guh-mi. But I find myself using the American pronunciation more and more. I guess I’m losing my “accent!”
Happy Gummi Bear Day, everyone!
There’s a whole world out there just waiting to be explored. Try a local treat wherever you are and make it a memory.
The World A to Z 