(CNN) — Jump for joy – July 31 is Jump for Jelly Beans Day!
While it’s not technically National Jelly Bean Day (that’s April 22), it is the day to celebrate enjoying jelly beans – by jumping!
Before you spring away from terra firm, you might need a little background here: Jelly beans are distant cousins of the Middle Eastern sweet Turkish delight, and the wedding reception favorite, the Jordan almond.
The hard candy has also leaped its way into American history books. First, when Boston candy maker William Schrafft encouraged people to send his jelly beans to soldiers fighting in the Civil War. And second, when Ronald Reagan announced them as his favorite treat, saying: “We can hardly start a meeting or make a decision without passing around the jar of jelly beans.” The US president was so fond of the candy that one company even created a blueberry-flavored bean just for him.
No one is really sure why we jump for jelly beans, though it’s hard to find a reason not to bound for a candy that’s been to outer space. All this begs the question, which jelly bean flavor will you be jumping for today?
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