I’ve Brought Some Corn for Popping

by Sandra Merville Hart

This line from the beloved Christmas carol “Let it Snow” started me wondering when the tradition of popping corn began.

People have known how to pop corn for thousands of years. Ears of popcorn were found in the Bat Cave in New Mexico that are about 4,000 years old. Found in 1948 and 1950, a penny is larger than the smallest of these ears while others are about 2 inches long.

Popcorn remnants discovered in Mexico have been dated to around 3600 BC.

One-thousand-year-old popcorn kernels found in North Chile still pop.

Aztec Indians in the 16^th century used popcorn for ceremonial headdresses and necklaces. Young women danced a popcorn dance wearing popcorn garlands on their heads.

Pearls or Nonpareil were names that the kernels were sold under on the United States eastern coast in the 19^th century.

Popcorn ground with cream or milk was a popular dish for breakfast in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries.

Popcorn balls became popular in the 19^th century as Christmas gifts. These were also used in decorating mantles and Christmas trees. Stringing popcorn was also popular as garland.

 

About Sandra Merville Hart

Award-winning author Sandra Merville Hart loves to uncover fascinating historical facts for her novels and stories. She was an editor and writer for DevoKids for several years and is now Executive Editor. She’s excited to be part of this fun, educational, and inspirational ministry for children.

 

Sources

“Early Popcorn History,” Popcorn.org, 2018/11/02

https://www.popcorn.org/Facts-Fun/History-of-Popcorn.

 

“Popcorn,” Wikipedia, 2018/11/02 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popcorn.