Every year on Nov. 11, Japan celebrates one of its favorite snacks — Pocky, a crunchy biscuit stick dipped in chocolate.

What began as a marketing stunt by Ezaki Glico — one of the world’s top candy giants — has now transformed into a nationwide sugar rush that celebrates all things Pocky.

The chocolatey treat has been a favorite since it first appeared on store shelves in 1966. Over the years, it has only grown in popularity, with a 2017 survey revealing that 96.5% of people in Japan are familiar with the snack. It’s also sold outside of Japan in 30 countries — including the United States — and is known as Mikado in Europe.

Initially, during test sales, Pocky was called Choco-teck, but it was later renamed to evoke the onomatopoeic Japanese word pokkin, the sound it makes when bitten.

Pocky Day was officially recognized by the Japan Anniversary Association on Nov. 11, 1999, the “11/11” date being a nod to the stick-like shape of the beloved treat.

At this time, Glico launched a campaign encouraging people to share Pocky with friends, family and colleagues. The idea was simple: use the act of sharing a Pocky stick to bring people together and spread joy. Since then, Pocky Day has grown into an informal annual tradition, with stores across Japan offering special edition flavors and creative packaging to mark the occasion.

In recent years, Pocky Day has inspired quirky challenges on social media, such as trying to hold as many Pocky sticks as possible between your lips or creating elaborate Pocky-themed desserts. Internationally, fans may also recognize what has been dubbed the “Pocky game,” where two people bite at opposite ends of a Pocky stick and try to avoid breaking it — reminiscent of a low-stakes version of the spaghetti scene from “Lady and the Tramp.”

In 2012, Pocky snagged a Guinness World Record for the “most tweets using a brand name on Twitter (now X) in 24 hours,” racking up over 1.84 million tweets. It then proceeded to smash its own record a year later, garnering 3.71 million mentions.

But Pocky Day is more than just about indulging one’s sweet tooth, according to Glico — it’s a time to express gratitude and affection.

In a world that can often feel disconnected, it’s important to savor the simple pleasures in life and share them with those who matter most, the confectionery company said — one stick at a time.