Legacy Java 7 version. See recommended Java 8 version https://gist.github.com/dblevins/47f7508e241d775fd7007a4639d6565a

Dates.java

import java.text.ParseException;
import java.text.SimpleDateFormat;
import java.time.LocalDate;
import java.time.ZoneId;
import java.util.Date;

/**
 * This pattern has the following benefits:
 *
 *  - Date formats are referenced as a strong type
 *  - Thread-safety handled
 *  - Parse exception is not a checked exception
 *  - Code completion on patterns
 *  - Patterns can be javadoc'ed
 */
public enum Dates {

    /**
     * <p>Format: yyyy-MM-dd</p>
     * <p>Example: 2022-03-30</p>
     */
    yyyy_MM_dd("yyyy-MM-dd"),
    
    /**
     * <p>Format: MMM dd, yyyy</p>
     * <p>Example: Mar 30, 2022</p>
     */
    MMM_dd_yyyy("MMM dd, yyyy");

    private final ThreadLocal<SimpleDateFormat> instance = new ThreadLocal<>();
    private final String formatString;

    Dates(final String formatString) {
        this.formatString = formatString;
    }

    public Date parse(final String string) {
        try {
            return instance().parse(string);
        } catch (ParseException e) {
            throw new DateParseException(formatString, string);
        }
    }

    public LocalDate parseLocalDate(final String string) {
        return parse(string).toInstant()
                .atZone(ZoneId.systemDefault())
                .toLocalDate();
    }

    public String format(final Date date) {
        return instance().format(date);
    }

    public String format(final LocalDate date) {
        return instance().format(Date.from(date.atStartOfDay()
                .atZone(ZoneId.systemDefault())
                .toInstant()));
    }

    private SimpleDateFormat instance() {
        {
            final SimpleDateFormat format = instance.get();
            if (format != null) return format;
        }

        {
            final SimpleDateFormat format = new SimpleDateFormat(formatString);
            instance.set(format);
            return format;
        }
    }

    private static class DateParseException extends RuntimeException {
        public DateParseException(final String formatString, final String string) {
            super(String.format("Unable to parse date string '%s' using format '%s'", string, formatString));
        }
    }
}

DatesTest.java

import org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions;
import org.junit.jupiter.params.ParameterizedTest;
import org.junit.jupiter.params.provider.Arguments;
import org.junit.jupiter.params.provider.MethodSource;

import java.time.LocalDate;
import java.util.stream.Stream;

import static org.junit.jupiter.params.provider.Arguments.arguments;

public class DatesTest {

    private static Stream<Arguments> data() {
        return Stream.of(
                arguments(Dates.yyyy_MM_dd, "2022-03-30"),
                arguments(Dates.MMM_dd_yyyy, "Mar 30, 2022")
        );
    }

    @ParameterizedTest
    @MethodSource("data")
    public void parse(final Dates dateEnum, final String dateString) {

        final LocalDate expected = LocalDate.of(2022, 3, 30);
        final LocalDate actual = dateEnum.parse(dateString);

        Assertions.assertEquals(expected, actual);
    }

    @ParameterizedTest
    @MethodSource("data")
    public void format(final Dates dateEnum, final String expected) {

        final LocalDate date = LocalDate.of(2022, 3, 30);
        final String actual = dateEnum.format(date);

        Assertions.assertEquals(expected, actual);
    }

}