A Day for Doughnuts

Friday, June 4, is National Doughnut Day.

As much as this sounds like some marketers’ idea to sell doughnuts, it actually has a history that dates back almost a century and is tied to volunteer efforts during war.

The Chicago Salvation Army established Doughnut Day in 1938 to honor female volunteers who served doughnuts to soldiers.

The practice began in France during World War I. Salvation Army volunteers providing “mothering” and amenities to U.S. soldiers settled upon doughnuts as a practical way to offer them fresh baked goods.

This year, Krispy Kreme—established in Winston-Salem in 1937, a year before National Doughnut Day—is giving away one free doughnut of any variety to each customer in honor of the day at participating locations.

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