Why Are There Two National Doughnut Days?

For those of us who prefer our blood sugar to remain relatively stable, doughnuts are an occasional treat—nutritionally bankrupt but delicious fried dough laced with flavors from chocolate to bacon. You might even choose to indulge only in honor of National Doughnut Day, observed the first Friday of every June.

Curiously, a second National Doughnut Day pops up just five months later, on November 5. We don’t have two Thanksgivings, two Halloweens, or even two National Hot Dog Days. So why do doughnuts get to claim two dates?

It helps to know how the June date originated: During World War I, volunteers who wanted to support troops were charged with preparing food to deliver to soldiers on the front lines in France. The Salvation Army dispatched over 250 women there, who found that battle-tested helmets were perfect for frying up to seven doughnuts at a time.

In 1938, the Salvation Army decided to honor these proclaimed “doughnut lassies” by recognizing an annual pastry holiday that could also raise awareness (and money) for their charitable efforts. National Doughnut Day was born.

Its calendar doppelgänger is harder to trace. According to food holiday historian John Bryan Hopkins, who cataloged several fringe holidays for his site Foodimentary beginning in 2006, mentions of the November Doughnut Day could be found as early as the 1930s in copies of Ladies’ Home Journal. Hopkins speculated that the November 5 date is close enough to Veterans Day on November 11 that a retail outlet likely introduced the date to acknowledge their service.

But which date do the major doughnut industry forces recognize? Entenmann’s tells us they don’t participate in November 5 celebrations. In a statement, a Dunkin’ Donuts spokesperson told mental_floss:

“Dunkin’ Donuts celebrates National Donut Day which is traditionally celebrated on the first Friday of June, which was originally established in 1938 by the Chicago Salvation Army to honor women who served donuts to soldiers during World War I. This past year on June 3, guests were able to enjoy a free donut with the purchase of any beverage. The brand does not have any plans for the other National Donut Day holiday in November.”

Krispy Kreme likes to remain the Switzerland of doughnut delegating, having been known to give doughnuts away on both dates. But considering June’s date has a proven—and noble—lineage, you might want to side with Dunkin’ and consider it the more official of the two holidays. And if you manage to miss both days, don’t be concerned: June 8 is National Jelly-Filled Donut Day, and National Cream-Filled Donut Day lands on September 14.

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