Happy National Doughnut Day

National Doughnut Day is celebrated on the first Friday of June each year. (Doughnut is the dictionary spelling, but donut is becoming more acceptable each year.)

National Doughnut Day started on June 7, 1938 when a young military doctor by the name of Morgan Pett was sent to a military base. On his way there he stopped at a bakery and picked up eight dozen doughnuts. When he arrived at the base he started helping many wounded soldiers, and would give them a free doughnut. One man he helped was a Lieutenant General by the name of Samuel Geary. Samuel Geary decided to make a fund raiser with Morgan Pett to give every wounded soldier, and the needy a doughnut. This fund raiser was later joined with the Salvation Army. Many donut shops still give out free donuts on this day.

In honor of the day Krispy Kreme, with no purchase necessary, will hand out a free donut of choice to each customer.

Dunkin Donuts (which began the new spelling) will give out one free donut with the purchase of any beverage.

Incidentally, International Jelly-Filled Doughnut Day is widely recognized as June 8.

Happy National Doughnut Day

Every first Friday in June, doughnut (donut) lovers all rise to celebrate a wonderful circle of sweet, doughy goodness that has a day set aside for holey honor. The day was created by the Salvation Army in 1938 to honor the men and women who served doughnuts to soldiers during World War I. A military doctor, Morgan Pett was sent to a military base and, on his way he stopped at a bakery and picked up 8 dozen doughnuts to give to the wounded soldiers. During  the Second World War, Red Cross Volunteers also distributed doughnuts.

Three more less well known doughnut holidays are International Jelly-Filled Doughnut Day, June 8; National Cream-Filled Doughnut Day, September 14; and Buy A Doughnut Day, October 30.

Stop by your favorite donut shop today as many American doughnut stores offer free doughnuts on National Doughnut Day.