When is World Chocolate Day?
World Chocolate Day 2027 is on Wednesday
Wednesday, July 7, 2027
July 7 every year. That's in 275 days.
until World Chocolate Day begins, in your time zone
World Chocolate Day is an informal, worldwide celebration of chocolate and the cacao bean it comes from, a food first prized in ancient Mesoamerica. It is the first of several chocolate days on the calendar, and no founder is documented.
About World Chocolate Day
World Chocolate Day is a midsummer nod to chocolate in every form, from drinking chocolate and dark bars to truffles and baked goods. It is marked in many countries, mostly through bakeries, chocolate makers, media coverage and social media.
No founding person or organization is documented for the day, and it has no official status in any country. A widely repeated story says July 7 marks chocolate's arrival in Europe in 1550, but no historical record ties the introduction of chocolate to that date. The National Confectioners Association, the US candy trade group, listed July 7 as Chocolate Day on its candy holiday calendar, alongside International Chocolate Day on September 13 and National Chocolate Day on October 28.
Chocolate's real history is long. Smithsonian magazine reports that cacao use goes back three or four thousand years in Mesoamerica, with cacao residue found on Honduran pottery that may date to about 1400 BCE. The Maya and Aztecs drank it unsweetened and used the beans as currency. Spanish colonizers added honey or sugar, and by the 17th century chocolate was a fashionable drink across Europe. Industrial steps followed: a Dutch process in 1828 that made cocoa powder, and Joseph Fry's moldable chocolate in 1847, credited as the first modern chocolate bar.
Cacao is still a farmed tropical crop, so many celebrations also look at where chocolate comes from, who grows it and how it is produced.
Sources: Smithsonian Magazine: A Brief History of Chocolate, National Confectioners Association: Candy Holidays (archived 2017). How we check dates.
How to mark World Chocolate Day
- Hold a tasting of bars with different cacao percentages and origins, and note how flavor changes from mild to bitter.
- Make hot chocolate from melted chocolate or cocoa, and try a version spiced with chili and cinnamon as a nod to Mesoamerican drinking chocolate.
- Buy from a local chocolate maker or chocolatier, and ask how they source their beans.
- Read about cacao farming and how labels such as Fairtrade or Rainforest Alliance describe their standards.
- Bake something with chocolate to share with friends, coworkers or neighbors.
World Chocolate Day dates
| Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Monday, July 7, 2025 |
| 2026 | Tuesday, July 7, 2026 |
| 2027 | Wednesday, July 7, 2027 |
| 2028 | Friday, July 7, 2028 |
| 2029 | Saturday, July 7, 2029 |
| 2030 | Sunday, July 7, 2030 |
| 2031 | Monday, July 7, 2031 |
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Frequently asked questions
When is World Chocolate Day 2027?
World Chocolate Day 2027 is on Wednesday, July 7, 2027. It falls on July 7 every year. In 2028, it is on Friday, July 7, 2028.
What is the difference between World Chocolate Day and National Chocolate Day?
World Chocolate Day is July 7 and is marked internationally. In the US, National Chocolate Day falls on October 28, and the National Confectioners Association also lists September 13 as International Chocolate Day.
Why is World Chocolate Day on July 7?
No one knows for sure. It is often said to mark chocolate's arrival in Europe in 1550, but there is no historical evidence for that specific date.
Is World Chocolate Day a public holiday?
No. World Chocolate Day is an observance, not a public holiday, so schools, banks, government offices and most businesses keep their normal hours.