Funny holidays - Day of the Lollipop Cockerels

Our ancestors began making sweets from burnt sugar back in the 15th century. Lollipops, which were shaped like cockerels, fir trees, fish or houses, were popular among both the nobility and the common people. Popular prints often feature images of children walking around a fair with caramel on a stick. In addition to its taste characteristics, the dessert had healing properties - burnt sugar helped with colds and coughs. February 20th is Candy Cockerel Day - a holiday of childhood, happy memories and nostalgia for the time when trees were big. The Internet is replete with recipes for making caramel on a stick from melted sugar. They are simple and do not require special culinary skills. On February 20, confectioners and ordinary sweet tooths who make cockerels at home prepare delicacies in honor of the holiday. Our ancestors made these sweets not only from sugar, but also from molasses and honey, and the resulting mixture was poured into molds made of wood. Lollipops, an alternative to expensive monpensiers in jars, were an integral part of fairs, booths and folk festivals. Sweet cockerels were extremely popular among children in the Soviet Union. Factory-made yellow, red, orange and green candies were sold in stores and markets, and were prepared by housewives in their kitchens. The rooster, which the Slavs associated with Yarila and Dazhdbog, has been revered since ancient times as a sacred prophetic bird. It is not surprising that for foreigners it has become the same symbol of Rus' as the balalaika or felt boots. Therefore, lollipops in the shape of fish, houses and other shapes were called cockerels. The popularity of this delicacy during the era of general Soviet shortages was explained by its natural composition, availability and low price. In modern Russia, traditional treats made from burnt sugar or molasses are remembered not only in honor of the holiday on February 20th. As part of the annual Russian Winter festival in 2010, a candy rooster weighing 50 kg was installed on Revolution Square. The gigantic delicacy was made by Tver confectioners. Representatives of the Russian Folk Art Crafts Association helped the craftsmen realize the idea. The sculpture in the shape of a rooster pleased not only with its appearance, but also with its taste: the organizers of the event broke off pieces of the miracle candy and treated the children to caramel. The modern calendar is replete with funny and sometimes ridiculous holidays. The same cannot be said about Lollipop Day, which is celebrated annually on February 20th. This holiday resonates in the heart with anticipation of joy and happiness, evokes slight sadness and sweet memories of childhood with your favorite treat - caramel on a stick.