National Spaghetti Day - How it Came to Be: January 4th, Ep4

Welcome to episode 4 of the Weird, Wacky, and Traditional Holiday Show: How They Came to Be”.

I’m your host, Stephen Carter. With each daily episode, we identify at least one of the official or unofficial holidays celebrated that day and explore how that day came to be. 

Today’s featured holiday is, well, I gave it away already, National Spaghetti Day!

Here are a few fun facts about pasta in general and my favorite food in particular.

•There’s evidence that food similar to pasta noodles was eaten in China starting about 5,000 B.C.

•The first written record of what we now call pasta appeared in the Jewish Talmud in the 5th Century A.D.

•There is evidence a form of pasta similar to today’s spaghetti appeared in Sicily in the 12 Century A.D.

•Contrary to popular history, Marco Pollo did not introduce pasta to Europeans.

•Thomas Jefferson brought pasta back to the United States when he returned from Naples, Italy in 1789.

•Spaghetti became popular in the United States when Italians began immigrating in large numbers in the late 19th Century.

•According to the International Pasta Organization, the annual per capita consumption of pasta in the U.S. is close to 20 lbs. Annual per capita consumption in Italy, is a whopping 57 lbs.

I can tell you, I’m doing my best to raise that number in the United States!

When Was National Spaghetti Day Born?

When was National Spaghetti day born? Alas, despite diligent research by many people, we don’t know. We do know there is no Presidential or Congressional declaration.

There is also another day pasta lovers should know about. October 17, is National Pasta Day. Unfortunately, the origins of that holiday are also lost in the historical mist. Again, there’s no Presidential or Congressional proclamation about National Pasta Day.

Proclamations or not, I for one am happy to celebrate both days by enjoying a heaping helping of spaghetti on January 4th, on October 17th, and on as many other days as possible.

If you decide to cook up a spaghetti meal or you simply want to share your love of this delicious pasta on Twitter, use the hash tag  #NationalSpaghettiDay.

Speaking of gustatory delights, join us tomorrow, January 5th to learn about National Whipped Cream Day!

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