National Maple Syrup Day

National Maple Syrup Day: Origin, Discovery, and Revenue

What it is

• National Maple Syrup Day is observed annually on December 17 in the United States. The day recognizes the production and cultural importance of maple syrup, a sweetener made from the sap of sugar maple and related trees.

Origin and creation of maple syrup

• Indigenous origins: Indigenous peoples of northeastern North America were the first to collect tree sap and concentrate it into sweeteners long before European contact. Methods varied by nation and region; sap was traditionally collected in birch or wooden containers and concentrated by heating over fire or by allowing it to freeze and removing ice.

• European adoption and refinement: Early European settlers learned sap-tapping and boiling techniques from Indigenous peoples and adapted them. Over the 18th and 19th centuries, maple sugar and syrup became an important colonial and early-American sweetener, especially in areas where cane sugar was scarce or expensive.

• Technological improvements: The 19th and 20th centuries saw gradual innovations—iron evaporators, drilled taps replacing cut spouts, and later vacuum tubing systems, reverse osmosis for sap concentration, and modern stainless-steel evaporators—leading to higher yields and more consistent product.

Who discovered maple syrup

• There is no single “discoverer.” The practice originated with Indigenous peoples of northeastern North America (including nations such as the Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, Wabanaki, and others). European colonists learned the practice from Indigenous knowledge and contributed later technological developments. Attributing discovery to a single person or culture oversimplifies the long, shared history.

National Maple Syrup Day history

• December 17 was designated as National Maple Syrup Day to celebrate the maple syrup industry and its cultural heritage in North America. The observance highlights both traditional practices and modern production, and it encourages public awareness of maple products and producers. (Note: National Maple Syrup Day is a commemorative observance rather than a federal holiday.)

Economic scale and yearly revenue

• Global and North American production: Canada, chiefly the province of Quebec, is the world’s largest maple syrup producer, supplying roughly 70–75% of global production in recent years. The United States’ leading producers are Vermont, New York, Maine, and Wisconsin.

• Industry value: Annual revenue for the maple syrup industry varies year to year with production, prices, and inventory. In the U.S., maple syrup farm gate value (the value received by producers) typically ranged in recent years from roughly $60 million to over $200 million depending on the data year, weather impacts, and price volatility. Canada’s maple syrup sector is larger in absolute terms; Quebec’s industry generates several hundred million Canadian dollars in annual revenue. For example, in the early 2020s, the combined value of Canadian maple syrup production was on the order of CAD 500 million or more for some seasons when prices were strong.

• Market notes: Annual revenue depends on factors including weather (sap runs depend on freeze-thaw cycles), inventory levels in large cooperatives, global demand, and prices. High-demand years and lower yields can push prices and producer revenues up significantly; conversely, abundant yields and high inventories can depress prices.

Takeaway

• Maple syrup’s origins lie with Indigenous practices in northeastern North America; European settlers adopted and industrialized production over time. National Maple Syrup Day (December 17) honors this tradition and the modern industry. The maple syrup industry generates substantial economic value annually, with Canada—especially Quebec—dominating production and the U.S. contributing significant but smaller revenue figures that vary by year.