Welcome to our series featuring Food Holidays: November 5th, 2022. Did you know today is National Doughnut Day? As well as my Birthday. Would you like to go to Krispy Kreme Donuts with me for a Donut or two?
National Donut Day falls on the first Friday in June each year. Were geared up to savor our best-loved Donuts. Have you ever resisted eating a Donut? It’s certainly an uphill battle. Fortunately, National Donut Day falls on June 2nd this year. Be sure to visit your favorite Donut Shop, choose a variety and enjoy.
WHEN IS NATIONAL DONUT DAY 2023?
Donuts were the favorite treat of Barack Obama, Homer Simpson, and the Cops is celebrated on National Donut Day on June 2nd.
HISTORY OF NATIONAL DONUT DAY
At one point or another in our lives, we’ve found ourselves craving Donuts. When we think about it, it’s not really a surprise that Donuts hits the spot like no other. Donuts pair exceptionally well with hot beverages. Donuts can be had as a quick snack or to accompany a long conversation. Most of all, there’s a Donut out there for all of us. From Glazed to daring recipes including Maple-Bacon Donuts.
The origins of National Donut Day are traced to the Salvation Army’s involvement in World War I. During this time, a group of volunteers was dispatched to the frontlines with the mission of providing comforting meals for the troops. They soon found out that Donuts were an effective way to provide food while navigating the difficulties of cooking in very dire circumstances. These brave volunteers would later be known as “Donut lassies”. Did you know they would even use War helmets as a utensil to fry up seven Donuts at a time.
In 1938, National Donut Day was established as a way to honor the members of the Salvation Army that came to the aid of Soldiers during World War I. Nowadays, National Donut Day is widely celebrated on the first Friday of June. Donut Shops are known to give Donuts out for free, giving a good reason to take time out of the day to enjoy Donuts.
TRADITIONS OF THE DAY
The traditions for National Donut Day are simple Eat as many Donuts as you can. In as many varieties and flavors as possible. This is exactly how the holiday is traditionally celebrated every year. The Donut has come a long way. Donuts are now available in many delightful variations. How can one resist not trying all the Donut flavors? Whether it is Jam-Filled Donuts, or Bavarian Cream, or a Chocolate Glazed original, Donuts are enjoyed and celebrated by children and adults alike all over the Country.
Food marketing agencies love National Donut Day. Donut franchises have deals on their menu as well as special Donut flavors prepared just for this holiday. There is a lot of competition for Cops at Donut Shops, with lines of people clamoring to get their Donut fix. Donuts are also cooked at home. A great activity for the family, especially for the kids, who get to decorate Donuts with different icings and toppings.
NATIONAL DONUT DAY ACTIVITIES
- Visit a local Donut Shop but don’t go for your usual Donut, instead allow yourself to experiment with different flavors
- Pick out a variety of Donuts to share with your neighbors. A sweet treat can go a long way.
- Making your own Donuts can be an exciting experience to share with family. Tap into your creativity by choosing an array of toppings.
5 FACTS ABOUT DONUTS
- Dutch settlers had a different name for Donuts which hey called them “Olykoeks”, which translates to, Oily Cakes.
- Donuts didn’t always have a hole. These first versions were simply made up of a fried dough, omitting their now characteristic shape.
- Donuts exist in math in geometry, because the shape of a Donut is known as a Torus.
- It’s estimated that 10 billion Donuts are sold in the United States.
- Donuts can be luxurious when filled with Champagne and topped with 24 karat gold can be purchased for hefty prices.
WHY PEOPLE LOVE NATIONAL DONUT DAY
- Specialty Donut Shops keep opening throughout the World, each one combining local tastes and ingredients to this timeless masterpiece.
- Even though Donut prices can vary greatly, they are generally still an affordable simple pleasure.
- It doesn’t matter what time of the year it is, you can always find a Donut that fits the season. A few examples are Candy Cane topped for Christmas or Summery Lemon Meringue Donuts.
National Doughnut Day started in 1938 as a fund raiser for Chicago’s The Salvation Army. Their goal was to help those in need during the Great Depression, and to honor The Salvation Army “Lassies” of World War I, who served Doughnuts to Soldiers.
Donut Facts:
- The Donut or Doughnut is a deep-fried piece of dough or batter which comes from the Dutch origin of Olykoeck or “Oily Cake”. The two most common types of Donuts are the flattened sphere you know…the ones that are injected with Jelly or Custard and the ring donut.
- Internationally, Dunkin’ Donuts has over 1700 locations in 29 Countries and over 6,000 stores in 30 Countries world-wide! In the U.S. there are over 4,400 locations across 36 States.
- Krispy Kreme is probably best known for their fresh, hot, glazed, Yeast-raised Doughnuts. The company’s “Hot Doughnuts Now” flashing sign is an integral part of the brands appeal and fame.
- Jelly-filled and Chocolate frosted also rank as their top sellers. Coconut Crunch, although not a number one seller, still remains one of the over 52 varieties of Donuts the chain produces on a yearly basis.
- Did you know Americans consume 10 billion Doughnuts annually. It really is too big of a number when you consider that as of 1997, there were 6,792 Doughnut shops in the U.S. alone. In 2005, I can only imagine that the number of Doughnut shops has increased dramatically. Unfortunately, 1997 was the last year that all overall statistics and data is available on this subject.
Here are today’s five thing to know about Chinese take-out:
The foundations for what we know as Chinese food were laid in the mid-1800s, when a huge influx of Chinese immigrants came to California during the Gold Rush.
When American Chinese restaurants first stepped out into mainstream culture, restaurants offered two menus: a Chinese menu and an American menu. The American menu soon became the only menu due to the crowds of young Americans hungry for savory sauces found in the American Chinese dishes.
Did you know the folded paper boxes that have now become a staple of American Chinese food were traditionally used to transport Oysters.
Despite their popularity in American Chinese dishes, Broccoli, Tomatoes, Carrots, and yellow Onions aren’t typically found in actual Chinese restaurants because they aren’t Vegetables Native to China.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
