National Doughnut Day an old tradition
You’ve never heard of National Doughnut Day? Yeah, me neither. However, it has been celebrated since 1938. In fact, it was started because of World War I. According to Wikipedia:
National Doughnut Day started in 1938 as a fund raiser for the Chicago Salvation Army. Their goal was to help the needy during the Great Depression, and to honor the Salvation Army “Lassies” of World War I, who served doughnuts to soldiers behind the front lines in France.
Soon after the US entrance into WWI in 1917, the Salvation Army sent a fact-finding mission to France. The mission concluded that “huts” that could serve baked goods, provide writing supplies and stamps, and provide a clothes-mending service, would serve the needs of US enlisted men.
Dunkin Donuts and Krispy Kreme
Fast-forward to 2009, and you find yourself in the era of free donuts from Krispy Kreme and Dunkin Donuts, the two biggest doughnut chains in the United States.
Today, the first Friday in June, National Doughnut Day, you can walk into a Krispy Kreme without a payday loan or any form of cash at all and get one free donut, no strings attached. If you were planning on buying coffee anyway, you might as well buy it from Dunkin Donuts because you will get a free donut with any beverage purchase.
History of the doughnut
Although everyone pretty much agrees that doughnuts are a delight, the origins of this pastry in the U.S. are somewhat controversial. According to Wikipedia:
Doughnuts have a disputed history. One theory suggests that doughnuts were introduced into North America by Dutch settlers, who were responsible for popularizing other American desserts, including cookies, apple pie, cream pie, and cobbler. This theory is bolstered by the fact that in the mid-19th century doughnuts were called olykoeks (”oily cakes”) by the Dutch. However, there is also archaeological evidence that the pastries were prepared by prehistoric Native Americans in the southwestern United States.
Krispy Kreme
Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc. first started giving away free donuts on National Doughnut Day in 2005. However, the company has been around in one form or another since the 1930s.
Krispy Kreme went through a slow, lengthy growth period. The franchise was started in the southeastern United States and only expanded to the rest of the country in the 1990s.
Dunkin Donuts
Dunkin Donuts was founded in 1951 in Massachusetts, and its headquarters is still in Massachusetts. However, the nationwide chain has locations all over the country, so head out for your free donuts and have a happy National Doughnut Day!
National Doughnut Day? Police everywhere must be overjoyed. (Cheap joke.) There are a bunch of weird food holidays. For instance, November 12th is National Pizza with the Works Except Anchovies Day, but October is oddly National Pizza Month. Also, August 16th is Bratwurst Festival Day, which is amusing in that a sausage festival is normally something you want to avoid! June is also Turkey Lover’s month, which doesn’t make a lot of sense with Thanksgiving being in November.