International Eskimo Pie Day is celebrated on January 24. The holiday is dedicated to creamy ice cream on a stick, covered in chocolate glaze.

January 24 is a great opportunity to treat yourself to a few servings of your favorite Eskimo Pie. On this day in 1922, Christian Nelson, the owner of a candy store in Onawa, Iowa, USA, received a patent for the Eskimo Pie. He invented the idea of covering a block of creamy ice cream with chocolate glaze and named it “Eskimo Pie.”

The history of Eskimo Pie dates back several millennia, as ice cream first appeared in China in the 3rd millennium BC. The emperor was served a mixture of ice, snow, milk, lemon and orange slices, and pomegranate seeds. It is also believed that in Ancient Rome, Emperor Nero indulged in a similar cold dessert. The word “Eskimo” itself came from the French, who used it to refer to a child’s snowsuit resembling the clothing of an Eskimo. Therefore, the ice cream “dressed” in a chocolate “snowsuit” was named Eskimo Pie in analogy.

International Eskimo Pie Day is a wonderful occasion to enjoy this delicious dessert!