On which day in June is National Doughnut Day celebrated?

National Doughnut Day is celebrated on the first Friday of June.

The observance began in the United States in 1938 as a Salvation Army fundraiser in Chicago. It honored the organization’s volunteers who served doughnuts, coffee, and other comforts to American soldiers during World War I. Those volunteers became popularly known as “Doughnut Girls.”

The date is not fixed to a numbered day, so it can fall anywhere from June 1 through June 7. That is why “First Saturday” or “Second Friday” is incorrect: the holiday is defined by the first Friday in the month. Many doughnut shops mark it with promotions, while Salvation Army events may use the occasion to raise money for charitable work.

A common mix-up is confusing National Doughnut Day with other unofficial food observances, such as National Jelly-Filled Doughnut Day in June. The World War I connection also did not create the word “doughboy”; that nickname was already in use before the doughnut-serving campaign.