Chewing Gum Day

Get ready to chew on this! Besides National Mulled Cider Day, Sept. 30 is also a lip-smacking fun holiday. It's Chewing Gum Day in the U.S.A! Hooray!

While the origins of this annual “holiday” are unknown, folks have been chewing, chomping, smacking, blowing and popping gum for ages (and annoying teachers for just about as long!) Thomas Adams received a patent on the first gum-making machine in 1871. After experimenting with different flavors, he manufactured the first flavored gum in the United States, Adams’ Black Jack, a licorice-flavored gum. It was also the first gum available in stick form. Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit and Spearmint gum soon followed. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Whether you prefer that tutti-fruity flavor, super-duper bubble or minty fresh taste, today’s gum comes in all sorts of shapes, colors and fun flavors. And besides tasting yummy, sugar-free gum can help fight cavities, too. And some believe chewing sugar-free gum is good for your waist line too! According to researchers from the Mayo Clinic, gum chewers can lose about 11 pounds of weight annually! Nicotine gum is also used to help people kick the habit. Just in case you don’t know how to chew gum, you’re in luck!

Happy Chewing Gum Day! Just remember to spit your gum out before you go to class and please, don't swallow it!