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Food holidays are considered the "national holidays" of cuisine in the United States. They are an opportunity for people to enjoy dishes they don't usually eat, and also a chance for restaurants and shops to promote their products. During these holidays, honored dishes are often discounted, given away for free, or offered with attractive promotions for customers.
These holidays have become very popular recently thanks to their appearances in newspapers, television programs, and especially social media. Even though they are not officially recognized by the government, they are almost "unwritten rules" for Americans.
While some food holidays are created by people themselves, many others have real historical origins. For example, Beer Day (April 7th) marks the end of the U.S. prohibition on the production, transport, import, and sale of alcoholic beverages; or the American Salvation Army chose June 1st as Doughnut Day in 1938 to honor the women who served doughnuts to soldiers during World War I.
Here are some popular food holidays in the United States.
January 23rd - Pie Day
Pie is one of the oldest pastries, with varieties dating back to the Egyptian Stone Age, more than 9,500 years BCE. It gained popularity in the West after appearing in The Oxford Companion to Food in 1303.
Pie Day originated in the mid-1970s by engineer, brewer, and longtime president of the Brewers Association, Charlie Papazian, after he declared his birthday, January 23rd, as Pie Day. Since 1986, the holiday has been sponsored by the American Pie Council.
The first Saturday of February - Ice Cream Breakfast Day
The name of this holiday is "Ice Cream for Breakfast," meaning people eat ice cream instead of breakfast. Ice cream is so popular in America that everyone wants to eat it at any time of day, including breakfast, but since that's not considered healthy, eating ice cream only on one day of the year is... acceptable.
On this occasion, many ice cream shops in US states have announced that they will donate the proceeds from ice cream sales to charity. This is also seen as a marketing tactic to increase sales, as February in the US is winter, so there are usually fewer customers buying ice cream in the cold weather.
February 9th - Bagel Day
Bagels originated in the Polish Jewish community and gradually became a popular American breakfast food. Traditionally, they are hand-shaped from fermented wheat flour dough, briefly boiled, and then baked. On Bagel Day, many bakeries offer buy-one-get-one-free promotions or give away free bagels to select customers.
February 27th - Strawberry Day
Strawberries are a favorite fruit for many, so they are used in a wide variety of American dishes. Images of cakes and pastries with strawberries frequently appear in magazines and illustrations. Strawberry jam is also one of the most popular jams. Therefore, Americans have dedicated a day each year to honoring strawberries. On this day, not only fresh strawberries but all dishes made with strawberries are discounted.
July 6th - Fried Chicken Day
Fried Chicken Day is celebrated annually in the US on July 6th, although its exact origins are unclear. On this holiday, fried chicken is prepared and eaten in many different ways. Several popular fried chicken chains such as Church's Chicken, KFC, and others like Grandy offer promotions for customers buying fried chicken.
Other food holidays include:
January 24th - Peanut Butter Day
February 9th - Pizza Day
March 6th - Oreo Cookie Day
March 7th - Grain Day
April 12th - Cheese Sandwich Day
May 11th - the day... Eat whatever you want
May 16th - BBQ Day
June 3rd - Egg Day
July 13th - French Fries Day
July 23rd - Hot Dog Day
August 24th - Waffle Day
September 13th - Chocolate Day
October 17th - Pasta Day
November 4th - Candy Day
November 16th - Fast Food Day
December 15th - Cupcake Day
December 21st - Hamburger Day
