NATIONAL CHOCOLATE MOUSSE DAY
Every April 3rd National Chocolate Mousse Day recognizes the decadent dessert that gained popularity in France in the 1800s.
Mousse is prepared by beating eggs or cream or both to a frothy, airy consistency and then folding the ingredients together to create a light, creamy delight.
While mousse can be either savory or sweet, for this day, we will focus on that all-time favorite, chocolate.
The words mousse and chocolate are derived from the French language, so it isn’t difficult to believe France is where to begin looking for the beginnings of this versatile creation. While we have no exact point in time when this might have been, we do know chocolate was introduced to the French around the year 1615, and they fell in love.
Then a century later, the French developed a method for making a mousse. Savory led the way, but it couldn’t have been long before the same approach was applied to chocolate.
In the United States, an advertisement in The Brooklyn Daily Eagle in 1887 included classes on how to make chocolate mousse offered by a Miss Parloa. She also advised how to make potato soup, larded grouse, potato timbale, and corn muffins.
From dark chocolate to milk chocolate, bittersweet, or any combination, there is plenty of variety when it comes to chocolate mousse.
HOW TO OBSERVE #ChocolateMousseDay
- Make some homemade chocolate mousse.
- Order chocolate mousse for dessert.
- Give a shout-out to the person who makes the best chocolate mousse.
- Invite a friend to join you for some chocolate mousse.
- Use #ChocolateMousseDay to post on social media.
- Do you celebrate every chocolate day? Then get your Certified Chocoholic socks and more here!
NATIONAL CHOCOLATE MOUSSE DAY HISTORY
National Day Calendar continues researching the origins of this sweet dessert holiday.
Chocolate Mousse FAQ
Is chocolate mousse and chocolate pudding the same thing? No. While both chocolate mousse and chocolate pudding are both creamy and delicious, chocolate mousse is lighter and airier than its pudding cousin.
Are there other mousse holidays on the calendar? Yes. Check out National Mousse Day for a savory version.
April 3rd Celebrated (and Not So Celebrated) History
1860
Relay teams on horseback begin delivering the first post as part of the Pony Express. The private enterprise consisted of over 80 riders and hundreds of stations along the east-west routes that stretched from St. Joseph, Missouri and Sacramento, California. While the Pony Express only operated for 18 months, during that time it was a success. With the incorporation of the Overland Telegraph Company of California and the Pacific Telegraph Company of Nebraska, the Pony Express’ days were numbered.
1995
Due to the absences of Supreme Court Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist and Justice John Paul Stevens, Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor becomes the first woman to preside over the highest court in the land.
2010
Apple Inc. releases the iPad, its first-generation tablet computer.
April 3rd Celebrated (and Not So Celebrated) Birthdays
Washington Irving – 1783
The American short-story writer brought us the classic tales of “Rip Van Winkle” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.”
Marlon Brando – 1924
One of Hollywood’s most memorable actors, Marlon Brando created a string of rebels, villains, and crooks. He was nominated for eight Academy Awards and earned only one.
Virgil “Gus” Grissom – 1926
One of the Mercury 7 astronauts, Grissom would become a pioneer at NASA. He became the second American to fly in space on July 21, 1961 aboard the Mercury-Redstone 4. When Grissom flew to space a second time on March 23, 1965, aboard Gemini III, he became the first person to fly in space twice. He would tragically die when a fire erupted during a pre-launch test for the first manned Apollo 1 flight.
Jane Goodall – 1934
In 1960, Dr. Jane Goodall first observed chimpanzees creating tools. Before her observance, it was thought only humans created tools.
Sandra Boynton – 1953
The American illustrator and author is best known for her children’s board books including The Going to Bed Book, Barnyard Dance, and Belly Button Book! She’s also a songwriter, producer, and director.
Eddie Murphy – 1961
The award-winning American actor and comedian gained popularity in the 1980s as a regular on Saturday Night Live. He continued to earn his comedy reputation on the big screen in films such as Beverly Hills Cop, Coming to America and Nutty Professor. In 2006, he played the role of James Early in the romantic musical Dreamgirls and received critical recognition.
Picabo Street – 1971
In 1998, the downhill skier earned Olympic gold in the Super G women’s skiing event at Nagano, Japan.
Notable Mentions
William Alexander Anderson “Big Foot” Wallace – 1817
William Marcy “Boss” Tweed – 1823
Bud Fisher – 1885
Henry Luce – 1898
Doris Day – 1922
