National Peppermint Patty Day

National Peppermint Patty Day, observed February 11th, celebrates the chocolate-covered disc of peppermint-flavored fondant that has become a classic American candy. While various peppermint creams and fondants have European roots going back further, the widely recognized American version, the York Peppermint Pattie, was created by candy maker Henry Kessler at the York Cone Company in York, Pennsylvania, in 1940. The candy's defining trait, a sharp, cooling peppermint flavor wrapped in a thin layer of dark chocolate, comes from a fondant-based filling made with sugar, corn syrup, and peppermint oil, which is enrobed in chocolate to balance the mint's intensity with rich sweetness. The York brand's advertising, particularly its long-running "Get the Sensation!" campaign in the 1970s and beyond, emphasized the jolt of cold, refreshing flavor as the candy's signature appeal. Peppermint patties have since become a broader candy category, produced by multiple manufacturers in various sizes, and remain especially popular around the winter holiday season, when peppermint flavors are culturally associated with Christmas and cold weather. On National Peppermint Patty Day, people celebrate by enjoying the classic candy or baking peppermint-and-chocolate treats inspired by it.