World Chocolate Day is celebrated every year on July 7, a day with one clear mission: enjoy good chocolate without guilt. The next World Chocolate Day is Wednesday, July 7, 2027. The countdown above runs live, so you can see how many days are left to plan a tasting, bake something or pick up a bar you have been meaning to try.
Why July 7?
World Chocolate Day has been observed since 2009. July 7 is often said to mark the anniversary of chocolate’s arrival in Europe in 1550, but there is no solid historical record behind that exact date, so treat it as a nice story rather than fact. What is certain is that cacao reached Europe from Mesoamerica in the 16th century, and Spain was among the first countries to embrace it as a sweetened drink.
Long before that, the Olmec, Maya and Aztec peoples prepared drinks from cacao beans, often flavored with spices and chili rather than sugar. The Aztecs valued cacao so highly that the beans also served as a form of currency. The plant’s scientific name, Theobroma cacao, means “food of the gods” in Greek.
World Chocolate Day vs. National Chocolate Day
If you are in the US, you will see several chocolate days on the calendar, which is part of the fun:
- World Chocolate Day: July 7, the most widely shared international date.
- International Chocolate Day: September 13, the birthday of Milton S. Hershey, founder of the Hershey company, born in 1857.
- National Chocolate Day (US): October 28, conveniently right before Halloween.
- National Chocolate Candy Day (US): December 28, in the middle of the holiday season.
Ideas for a chocolate-filled day
- Host a blind tasting: line up bars at 35%, 55%, 70% and 85% cocoa and let guests guess the order.
- Compare origins: single-origin bars from Ecuador, Madagascar or Ghana can taste remarkably different, from fruity to earthy.
- Bake something classic: brownies, chocolate chip cookies or a flourless chocolate cake are hard to get wrong.
- Make a summer treat: July is hot in much of the US, so try frozen chocolate-dipped bananas or a chocolate milkshake instead of hot cocoa.
- Visit a local chocolatier: many small shops offer tastings or classes and appreciate the extra attention on July 7.
A few things worth knowing
White chocolate contains cocoa butter, sugar and milk but no cocoa solids, which is why some people argue it is not “real” chocolate. Most of the world’s cocoa is grown in West Africa, with Côte d’Ivoire the largest producer by a wide margin and Ghana another major grower. If you care about how cocoa is grown, look for certification labels or brands that publish where their beans come from. And if you share chocolate with pets around, remember that it is toxic to dogs and cats.
Count down together
Organizing a tasting at the office or a bake-off with friends? Share the countdown link or add July 7 to your calendar from this page. Next on the sweet calendar: International Coffee Day on October 1 pairs very well with a square of dark chocolate.