We’ll be celebrating National Donut Day, arguably one of the top five best holidays of the year. First observed in 1938, the holiday is now celebrated the first Friday of every June and celebrates the women who served donuts to soldiers on the frontlines during World War I. Yes, you read that right, National Donut Day is actually a celebration of the female Salvation Army volunteers (affectionately referred to as “Donut Lassies”, how cute is that?) who, during the awfulness of wartime, created something to bring light and joy to the people around them. If Donut Day wasn’t in your top five favorite holidays before, it probably is now.
Why we love National Donut day
We are firm believers in the power and transcendence of creating. Okay, maybe that sounds a little hokey, but are we wrong? We wholeheartedly believe as we create with our hands we get in touch with our soul, and as we get in touch with our soul we live a more abundant life. Creating something beautiful or delicious and putting it out into the world is an act of courage and celebration, and we are BIG FANS of all of the above. The donut lassies, pioneers of National Donut Day, are perfect examples of the good and lasting impact that can come from creating. Continue reading to discover their incredible story and how you can celebrate this fantastic holiday for yourself!
The Surprising Story of National Donut Day
During World War 1, a group of Salvation Army volunteers left with the American First Division of soldiers with the directive of providing the troops with entertainment and support. After arriving at camp and inventorying their limited supplies, these women realized they had a good amount of flour, grease, sugar, and baking powder: the perfect ingredients for donuts.
They brilliantly used wine bottles and shell casings from large guns as rolling pins and put smaller shells to use by using them to cut out donut holes (innovation at its peak). They eventually fried anywhere between 2,500 to 9,000 donuts a day, supplying soldiers with a little taste and comfort of home.
As you celebrate National Donut Day this year, we hope you take a second to remember the incredible donut lassies and their stories. And what better way to honor them and one of our favorite food groups than to create something fabulous? We’ve put together some of our favorite donut crafts and recipes here to help you have the best National Donut Day yet!
National Donut Day Crafts and Recipes
1. Donut Flower Bouquet
Our cut-and-attach donut bouquet is a cute and simple way to dress up your favorite donuts! With minimal supplies, this is probably one of the easiest bouquets you’ll ever make and the yummiest your friends will ever receive. Beware, because once you try a donut bouquet you may never return to traditional floral arrangements again.
2. DIY Donut Rug
If you have a bit more time and are looking for a way to incorporate donuts into your decor, look no further! This donut rug is exactly what you need. If you can get your hands on an Ikea rug, spray and acrylic paints, blue tape, and a paintbrush, you’re ready to get going.
3. Donut Garland
Can a holiday be properly celebrated without a themed garland? I mean, Donut Day is simply not Donut Day without a garland. Luckily, we’ve created a donut garland template to help you celebrate this most important holiday in the style it deserves. All you’ll need is the template, scissors, string, a needle, a glue stick, and a hole punch.
4. Mini Baked Donuts
Before you write off making donuts as being too demanding and time intensive (oh awkward, was I the only one doing that?), check out these awesome baked mini donuts! They are just small enough to eat 5 at a time (because we know eating just one donut is like eating just one Oreo; impossible. Don’t try to tell me otherwise) and are healthier than your average donut with zero processed sugar and no frying. This guilt-free donut recipe is likely to become one of your Donut Day favorites.
5. Donut Macarons
If you’re ready to zhuzh up your National Donut Day celebrations and are feeling a bit ambitious, these donut macarons are perfect for you! These yummy French treats have achieved mega-popularity status in the past couple of years, and this pairing of the decidedly American donut with the French macaron is one of our favorite French-American duos yet.
We are outspoken, lifelong, shout-it-from-the-rooftops advocates of the goodness that is put into someone’s life and the world at large when an individual takes the time to simply create. The Donut Lassies were champions of this and used their creative skills to lift the people around them. This Donut Day, we hope you’re able to create something fun or delicious and share it with the people around you because sharing is caring! Just be careful to save a couple (or 10) donuts for yourself.
Happy donut-ing!
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