The Salvation Army established National Doughnut Day in the United States in 1938.
The observance was created to honor Salvation Army volunteers who served doughnuts and other refreshments to soldiers during World War I. Those women became known as Doughnut Lassies, and their work was remembered as an example of practical support close to the battlefield. National Doughnut Day also served as a fundraising occasion for Salvation Army charitable activities.
The celebration is held annually on the first Friday in June. It is sometimes confused with the wartime period that inspired it: Salvation Army volunteers served troops during World War I, but the national observance itself was introduced later, in 1938.
Doughnut shops and charities often mark the day with promotions or donations. The event therefore combines food history with the history of charitable relief work, rather than being simply a commercial holiday created by a doughnut chain.