National Pie Day
Whether it is apple, pumpkin, pecan, blueberry, cherry, peach, Key lime, lemon meringue, coconut cream, sweet potato, mince, or countless more, the sweet, savory tastes are as American as… well, you know.
When Is National Pie Day?
National Pie Day is taking place on January 23, 2021.
“January 23rd is National Pie Day, a time to celebrate the day with pie,” the council states on its website. “… We are encouraging pie lovers everywhere to host pie parties across the country. Whether it be with your friends, family, or co-workers, share some pie on January 23rd.”
What Is National Pie Day?
National Pie Day falls on a Wednesday, which may or may not be the excuse you need to enjoy a slice or two on an otherwise ordinary weekday. In any case, you can thank Charlie Papazian, an American nuclear engineer, craft beer brewer, and author, who is credited with creating the food holiday in the 1970s after he declared his birthday to be National Pie Day. Really, he just up and proclaimed the date as a national celebration of pie.
The American Pie Council, of which Jason Biggs is thankfully not a member, has sponsored the holiday since 1986. Of course, every day can be “pie day” if you try hard enough, but some restaurants — mostly local restaurants and regional chains — end up marking the date with free pie, discounts on pie, and other pie promotions. Michigan’s Grand Traverse Pie Company, for example, is offering a free slice of apple crumb or cherry crumb pie with any order all day.
The National Pie Day List
- Jan 23 National Pie Day and Rhubarb Pie Day
- February Great American Pie Month
- Feb 20 Cherry Pie Day
- Mar 2 Banana Cream Pie Day
- Mar 14 Pi Day
- Apr 28 Blueberry Pie Day
- May 8 Coconut Cream Pie Day
- May 13 Apple Pie Day
- Jun 9 Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie Day
- Jul 12 Pecan Pie Day
- August 1 Raspberry Cream Pie Day
- Also Aug 15 Lemon Meringue Pie Day
- Aug 18 Ice Cream Pie Day
- August 20 Chocolate Pecan Pie Day
- And Aug 24 Peach Pie Day
- Sept 28 Strawberry Cream Pie Day
- Oct 12 Pumpkin Pie Day
- Oct 23 Boston Cream Pie Day
- Nov 27 Bavarian Cream Pie Day
- Dec 1 National Pie Day
- Dec 25 Pumpkin Pie Day
Pie History from the American Pie Council
Pie has been around since the ancient Egyptian era. These pies were sometimes made in “reeds” which were used for the sole purpose of holding the filling and not for eating with the filling. The Romans must have spread the word about pies around Europe as the Oxford English Dictionary notes that the word pie was a popular word in the 14th century. The first pie recipe was published by the Romans and was for a piece of rye-crusted goat cheese and honey pie.
The early pies were predominately meat pies. Pyes (pies) originally appeared in England as early as the twelfth century. The crust of the pie was referred to as “coffyn”. There was actually more crust than filling. Often these pies were made using fowl and the legs were left to hang over the side of the dish and used as handles. Fruit pies or tarts (pasties) were probably first made in the 1500s. English tradition credits making the first cherry pie to Queen Elizabeth I.
Pie came to America with the first English settlers. The early colonists cooked their pies in long narrow pans calling them “coffins” like the crust in England. As in the Roman times, the early American pie crusts often were not eaten, but simply designed to hold the filling during baking. It was during the American Revolution that the term crust was used instead of coffyn. Over the years, pie has evolved to become what it is today “the most traditional American dessert”. Pie has become so much a part of American culture throughout the years, that we now commonly use the term “as American as apple pie.”
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