Ferry Floss Day in Great Britain

The spun sugar still gets its “candy” claims in the U.K., where it's called candy floss. Of course, “floss” is the name for embroidery thread, so in that way it's just a synonym for cotton.

Cotton candy is a spun sugar confection that resembles cotton. It is made and sold globally — as “candy floss” in the UK, Ireland, New Zealand, Egypt, India, Sri Lanka, and South Africa, and as “fairy floss” in Australia.

In France it’s called “la barbe à papa,” which means “papa’s beard,” and in Italy it’s “zucchero filato,” or “sugar thread.” There’s also “spookasem” (“ghost breath”) in Afrikaans, and in other languages like Hindi and Greek, the term for cotton candy more or less translates to “old woman’s hair.”

Cotton candy is a popular food at carnivals, amusement parks, fairgrounds or circuses. Its fibrous texture makes it unique among sugar confectioneries.