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When is National Ice Cream Day?

National Ice Cream Day celebrates all ice cream, and it falls on the third Sunday of July every year.

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Sunday, July 18, 2027

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The one after

Sunday, July 16, 2028

Every year

The third Sunday of July

Proclaimed in 1984

National Ice Cream Day is a day for all ice cream. It falls on the third Sunday of July.

It is an official observance. Congress designated the first one in 1984, and President Ronald Reagan proclaimed it the same year. Those 1984 texts named one date. The third-Sunday rule comes from how the day has been kept since.

Proclaimed in 1984. Official: named by a joint resolution of Congress and by Proclamation 5219, signed by President Ronald Reagan.

Simple ways to mark the day

  • Use the Scoop Planner to work out how many pints, quarts or tubs to buy for an office or classroom ice cream break.
  • Check the ice cream container size chart to see how many servings a pint, half gallon or 3 gallon tub holds before you shop.
  • If you are taking ice cream to a picnic or team event, use the Dry Ice and Cooler Calculator to keep it frozen on the way.
  • Look at the ice cream price tracker with your class to see how the average price of a half gallon has changed.
  • Host a sundae bar for family or neighbors, with a few flavors and toppings so everyone can build their own bowl.

Where the day comes from

National Ice Cream Day is an official observance. Congress designated July 15, 1984 as National Ice Cream Day in Senate Joint Resolution 298. That resolution became Public Law 98-333 when it was approved on July 2, 1984. President Ronald Reagan then proclaimed the day in Proclamation 5219, signed July 9, 1984. Among ice cream days, only this one and National Ice Cream Month have that status.

The 1984 texts named one date and nothing more. July 15, 1984 happened to be the third Sunday of that July, but neither text sets a third-Sunday rule. IDFA and National Day Calendar give the third Sunday of July as the day it has been kept ever since. IDFA’s current listing for the day matches that rule.

The American Presidency Project at UC Santa Barbara notes that the same proclamation named July 1984 National Ice Cream Month. It asked people to observe both the month and the day with appropriate ceremonies and activities. A scoop shared with family, coworkers or a class fits that request well. If you want a reason to plan a treat for the third Sunday of July, the original text gives you one.

Questions people ask

When is National Ice Cream Day each year?

National Ice Cream Day falls on the third Sunday of July. IDFA and National Day Calendar both give the third Sunday as the day it has been kept since 1984. This page shows the next two dates and a countdown to the next one.

Is National Ice Cream Day an official holiday?

Yes, it has official status. Congress designated it in Senate Joint Resolution 298, approved July 2, 1984, and President Ronald Reagan proclaimed it in Proclamation 5219, signed July 9, 1984. Among ice cream days, only this one and National Ice Cream Month have that status.

Did the 1984 proclamation set the third Sunday of July?

No. The 1984 texts name one date, July 15, 1984, which was the third Sunday of that July. The third-Sunday rule comes from how the day has been kept since, as IDFA and National Day Calendar give it.

Who started National Ice Cream Day in the first place?

Congress and President Ronald Reagan made it official in 1984. Congress designated July 15, 1984 as National Ice Cream Day, and Reagan proclaimed it in Proclamation 5219, which also named July 1984 National Ice Cream Month.

Sources

  1. Proclamation 5219, National Ice Cream Month and National Ice Cream Day, 1984 The American Presidency Project, UC Santa Barbara
  2. Federal Register, Vol. 49, No. 134, July 11, 1984, p. 28231 (Proclamation 5219, PDF) U.S. Government Publishing Office (GovInfo)
  3. 98 Stat. 290, Public Law 98-333 (S.J.Res. 298), July 2, 1984 (PDF) U.S. Government Publishing Office (GovInfo)
  4. S.J.Res. 298, 98th Congress (1983-1984) Congress.gov, Library of Congress
  5. Proclamations, July 9, 1984 Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
  6. How IDFA and Policymakers Celebrate With Ice Cream International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA)
  7. July is National Ice Cream Month International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA)
  8. National Ice Cream Day (third Sunday in July) National Day Calendar

Every data source the site uses is on the Sources page.

More ice cream days

The full calendar, with a month view of July