International Cherry Pit Spitting Day

International Cherry Pit Spitting Day is celebrated on the first Saturday of July every year. It is the perfect midsummer celebration when the cherries are ripe. During the celebration, people compete among themselves to spit the cherry pit the farthest. In addition, on this day you can cook a variety of dishes, desserts and drinks with cherries in the composition.

History

People have recognized cherries as food since ancient times. The plates of the Roman Empire and many Chinese dynasties already had these small red berries on them. Cherry trees were brought to America along with the first settlers in the 1600s. Modern cherry production in the United States began in 1852, when Peter Dougherty planted cherry trees on the Old Mission Peninsula. The climate of the Midwest proved ideal for growing them, and the harvest was soon in full swing.

Cherries were processed by Traverse City Canning. Dessert cherries became popular, invented by merchants in the Balkans and northern Italy when they added liquor to local cherries. The resulting dish was shipped to the United States in the 1890s. Here, in 1896, they made similar treats, but with less liquor and more almond butter.

International Cherry Pit Spitting Day dates back to 1974, when Herb Teichman hosted a pit-spitting tournament on a fruit farm in Eau Claire, Michigan. Suddenly, it took root, and tournaments were held annually.

Interesting facts

• The world record for spitting a cherry pit is 100 feet 4 inches;
• During the 20th century, Great Britain lost 90% of its cherry orchards due to wars, which were replanted with more important crops in order to provide the population with food;

The earliest information about cherries was recorded by the Greek author Theophrastus in 300 BC in history of Plants.

How to take part

Celebrate International Cherry Pit Spitting Day at one of the U-Pick farms in Michigan, Oregon, and California. Here you can spend the day outdoors picking fresh cherries. Be sure to eat a dish with cherries or drink a cherry drink. You can also compete in the Cherry Pit Spit at the International Cherry Pit Spit Championship.

When is International Cherry Pit Spitting Day celebrated in 2024?

International Cherry Pit Spitting Day is observed on the first Saturday of July each year.

Observations