National Donut Day: A Tasty Tradition
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Need an excuse to eat a donut? Then, you will be happy to know that June 6 2025, is National Donut Day. This makes it your civic duty to indulge in the fried treat. The sweet holiday is celebrated annually on the first Friday of June. It was created by the Salvation Army to raise funds for those in need.
The Salvation Army’s connection to donuts began in 1917 during World War I. A group of female volunteers went to France to help American soldiers. To lift the spirits of the homesick troops, they used the limited supplies — flour, sugar, milk and lard — to make donuts.
With no rolling pins or donut cutters, the women got creative. They shaped the donuts by hand and, according to popular accounts, fried them in a soldier’s helmet. The volunteers made just a few hundred donuts each day at first. But the smell of fresh donuts brought comfort to the soldiers.
Once fully equipped, the "Donut Lassies" made as many as 9,000 donuts a day. The treat became a lasting symbol of The Salvation Army’s support for American troops. The non-profit also used it to comfort soldiers during World War II (1939-1945) and the Vietnam War (1955-1975).
In 1938, The Salvation Army’s Chicago branch held a fundraiser selling donuts made from the original WWI recipe. The goal was to help those affected by the Great Depression. The successful event led to the creation of National Donut Day.
Today, many donut shops join the celebration by giving free or discounted treats. Chains like Krispy Kreme and LaMar’s Donuts usually give a free donut to every customer. Dunkin’ often offers a free donut with the purchase of a drink.
National Donut Day is not the only celebration for donut fans. There is also National Jelly-Filled Donut Day on June 8, Cream-Filled Donut Day on September 14, and Donut Appreciation Day on November 5. With so many chances to indulge, it is no wonder Americans eat over 10 billion donuts — about 33 per person — each year!
Donuts are a beloved American treat, but similar fried sweets can be found around the world. In India, people enjoy jalebi, a syrupy spiral-shaped dessert. Tunisians have yoyos — pastries soaked in honey. Indonesia’s donut kentang is made with mashed potatoes and dusted with powdered sugar. That means you can celebrate the sweet holiday no matter where you live!
Happy National Donut Day!
Resources: Wikipedia.org, SalvationArmy.org
