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June 2 is National Doughnut (Donut) Day: Here is why it is of Significance to Americans!

NewsGram Desk

June 02, 2017:

If you have a sweet tooth, then today is certainly your day! On this day, the first Friday of June which the Americans celebrate as the National Doughnut (or Donut) Day. It is to celebrate and honor the Salvation Army Lassies.

The origin of this occasion can be traced back to the year 1938 in Chicago when the Army celebrated doughnut day to honor the women who served doughnuts to tired and hungry American soldiers during the World War 1.

The doughnut has been popularized in America. Over 10 billion doughnuts are made in the US each year! The global audience sees it most of the times in pop culture. The police head in The Simpsons has a few doughnuts piled on his gun all the time. It is portrayed as police force's favorite snack with a coffee.

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Here are ten things you may not know about doughnuts:

  • They were called 'olykoeks' when they first came to America. Olykoek is a Dutch word for 'Oily Cakes'. Crazy right?
  • Did you notice the two different spellings in the title? Well, both are acceptable. Originally spelled doughnuts, the shorter and convenient form 'donut' was popularized by the opening of 'Dunkin Donuts' in the 20th Century.

American Doughnut. Pixabay

  • There are different stories to the starting of the relationship between a cop and a doughnut. The most common story is that doughnut shops were open till late at night and provided for an accessible snack for the cops on night shifts. Gradually, a reciprocal relationship emerged. Doughnut shops would welcome the police.
  • Doughnuts were declared 'the hit food of the century of progress' at a 1933 Chicago world fair.
  • It was Captain Hensen Gregory who claims to have invented the whole in the doughnuts. His mother Elizabeth Gregory made doughnuts that did not have a hole.
  • Red Cross during the World War 2 would provide doughnuts and coffee to American and British soldiers. While it was free for Americans, the British had to pay. This led to a conflict between the soldiers and Red Cross had to ultimately charge everyone.
  • The Vietnamese in 1966 had an argument with Marine Capt. Orson Swindlen regarding the absence of holidays in the US. The marine responded that US has a National Donut Day on November 10. The American soldiers held captive were served doughnuts on November 10. It was actually the Marine's birth date.
  • The doughnut industry in the US is worth 3.6 billion dollars.

Doughnut and Coffee. Pixabay

  • The first doughnut machine was invented in 1920 by Adolph Levitt who was a Russian-born immigrant in the US.
  • The Guinness World Record for most doughnuts eaten in three minutes without licking lips was by an American Patrick Bertoletti who ate 3 doughnuts.

Money can't buy happiness, or so it seems today- rush to the places in the US giving away free doughnuts and kick start your weekend with what happiness tastes like!

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