Sunday marks 25th annual National Ice Cream Day

Thinking of a tasty treat this afternoon to pass the summer heat?

Go ahead — it’s National Ice Cream Day, after all.

Sunday, July 19 marks the 25th anniversary of National Ice Cream Day, after President Ronald Reagan first proclaimed the “holiday” in July of 1984.

“Ice cream is a nutritious and wholesome food, enjoyed by over ninety percent of the people in the United States,” Reagan said in a 1984 proclamation. “It enjoys a reputation as the perfect dessert and snack food.”

The president called on Americans to observe Ice Cream Month and Ice Cream Day with “appropriate ceremonies and activities.”

Congress also acted to designate Ice Cream Day and Ice Cream Month in resolutions in 1984.

Today, the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) urges Americans to celebrate National Ice Cream Day as the third Sunday of July each year — or, today. Sunday, July 19.

“The U.S. ice cream industry generates more than $21 billion in annual sales and provides jobs for thousands of citizens,” they said in a statement celebrating the occasion. “About 9 percent of all the milk produced by U.S. dairy farmers is used to produce ice cream, contributing significantly to the economic well-being of the nation’s dairy industry.”