Today Special : National Bacon Day
Gather-round the frying pan everybody because National Bacon Day is December 30 and it’s enough to make any bacon-lover squeal. Just saying the word makes us hungry. It’s an incredibly versatile food. You can eat it on a burger if you’re ready for a major calorie-fest. Or, you can crumble it over a salad if you’re trying to be kind of healthy (but let’s be honest, nothing is healthy with bacon on it). You can even make it the star of the show by simply pairing it with eggs. No matter what you do, bacon is greasy, delicious, and the most beautiful thing we’ve ever seen strip. If you, too, want to climb a tall building and scream at the top of your lungs, “I love bacon,” then please join us in celebrating National Bacon Day on December 30
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HISTORY OF NATIONAL BACON DAY
Though the holiday was created in 1997 as a way to take a break from celebrating the traditional winter holidays, the consumption of pork dates back thousands of years to 4900 B.C. where the Chinese domesticated pigs and preserved pork bellies with salt. This practice is believed to have made its way to the Romans and Greeks through conquests in the Middle East and by 1500 B.C. had largely impacted both production and preservation of pork in the Roman Empire. Ancient Roman’s early form of bacon, or “petaso,” was pig shoulder broiled with dried figs, browned and served with wine.
The word “bacon” can be traced back to various languages from before the 12th century. Most notably from the French word “bako,” the Germanic “bakkon” and the Old Teutonic word “backe,” all of which specifically refer to the rear of the pig. During the 16th Century, the word “bacoun” was used to refer to any kind of pork. And it wasn’t until the 17th Century that “bacon” was used solely to refer to the salted and smoked pork belly that we know today.
Considering how easy and cheap it was to own pigs, its no wonder during Medieval Times bacon was very common among Anglo-Saxon peasants. Each family and butcher had their own recipe for curing and smoking bacon. The sheer variety of bacon, sausage, and black pudding that you could buy in Victorian England created an almost golden age of pork.
The popular phrase “bring home the bacon” can be traced to the 12 century, in the English town of Dunmow. The church promised to reward a side of bacon to any married man who swore before God and the congregation that he would not quarrel with his wife for a year and a day.
NATIONAL BACON DAY TRADITIONS
The good news is the main tradition for National Bacon Day is eating heaps of bacon. Yep, it doesn’t get much better than that. It’s also the last chance of the year for those who work in food marketing to lure you in with tasty deals so keep your eyes peeled on social media as there will likely be some bacon deals available.
NATIONAL BACON DAY ACTIVITIES
- Order bacon pizza : It’s time to switch things up and get outside of your box. Live life on the wild side and swap your normal pepperoni and sausage pizza order. The delivery man is judging you, and frankly, we are too. To earn our respect back, you have to order a pizza with nothing but crispy, mouth-watering bacon as a topping. You’ll thank us later — if you’re not already thanking us now for thinking of this awesome idea.
- Buy some bacon-covered donuts : We get it — it sounds wrong. We were once among the unbelievers too. But if maple-bacon donuts are wrong, we don’t want to be right! You can thank the Swirls bakery in Nebraska for starting the trend. They first conceptualized the donut and decided to call it the “Elvis.” Later, it was picked up by Voodoo Donuts in Portland, Dynamo Donuts in San Francisco, and more. So live on the edge and try this trendy delicacy! Again, you’ll thank us later.
- Eat bacon-wrapped hot dogs : You’re probably asking yourself how things could get any better. I mean, we just introduced you to maple-bacon donuts! However, we’re about to outdo ourselves. Get ready for… bacon-wrapped hot dogs! You’ve probably seen these beautiful concoctions before (we’re guessing they were selling them outside of that concert you attended this summer). But we’re willing to bet you’ve never tried them — and you’re missing out! You’ll be hooked after your first bite. And guess what? You’ll want to thank us for the third time.
5 TASTY BACON FACTS
- It Helped During WWII : During WWII the U.S. government urged citizens to donate their excess bacon fat to the army. The fat was used to make bombs.
- 18 Pounds of Goodness : The average American consumes 18 pounds of bacon a year.
- Bacon Blessed : There is a church in Las Vegas called “The United Church of Bacon” and it is exactly what it sounds like.
- Bacon Camp : The exact antithesis of fat camp, in Ann Arbor Michigan you can go to a camp with activities entirely curated around bacon.
- One Small Bite for Man : Bacon was included in the first meal eaten on the moon.
WHY WE LOVE NATIONAL BACON DAY
- It’s amazing : Check your pulse if you don’t believe us — you’re clearly a zombie masquerading as a real person. Why do we like it so much? It complements everything it comes in touch with, whether it’s spicing up a boring salad or taking donuts to the next level. They say Midas has the golden touch, but we beg to differ.
- It’s convenient : Look, there’s never enough time in one day. Between our jobs, errands, and friends, we’re always struggling to find time to cook. However, when you opt to have bacon as a meal, that’s not a problem. All you need to do is heat up a pan and pour in a little bit of oil. Your bacon will be ready in minutes and the gnarly hunger monster inside of you will be sated. It’s a win-win situation for everyone involved!
- It has superpowers : Bacon contains a nutrient (we know, we’re surprised too) called “choline.” It’s been known to increase intelligence and memory, fight Alzheimer’s Disease, and protect the heart from developing lethal problems. We never thought our favorite food could get any better, but then we learn about its health benefits. Thank you, bacon; you’re the gift that keeps on giving.
