Movie-lovers who also enjoy big, buttery bags of popcorn can rejoice.
In honour of National Popcorn Day on Thursday (Jan. 19) Scene+ members can visit any Cineplex theatre across the country to claim a free bag of the popular cinema snack, or order through various delivery apps.
“National Popcorn Day is a movie-lover’s holiday and now an annual tradition for Cineplex,” said Sara Moore, executive vice president and chief marketing officer.
True popcorn fandom knows no bounds, evidenced by a popcorn super fan from British Columbia who got an actual replica of the Colonel Kernel tattooed onto his forearm.
His tattoo, which was posted to Reddit, was “too special not to share”, said Moore. The tattoo has also served as inspiration behind the limited-edition temporary tattoos that will be given out on Jan. 19 as an added bonus with the free popcorn.
According to the theatre company, an estimated 30 billion kernels are popped in its Canadian theatres each year. Vancouver is one of the top six most popcorn-loving cities, as well as Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, Winnipeg and Montreal.
Measuring it in delicious, runny, buttery goodness, Cineplex portions out about 5.8 tonnes of butter per year.
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Though National Popcorn Day began in 2013, historians figure the snack has been around since as early as 4,700 BC. The world’s oldest known popper was designed around 300 AD, with the first popcorn machine making its debut more than 1,500 year later at the World’s Fair in Chicago in 1893.
It was not until theatres introduced sound in 1927 that movies became a cultural event across North America. With this surge into mainstream life, snacks like popcorn put the pop in “popular.”
sam.duerksen@blackpress.ca
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